Season 1 – The Narrow Road to the Deep North

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Riley K The Narrow Road to the Deep North wants to be two things at once: a haunting depiction of wartime brutality and a sweeping, tragic love story. In its best moments, it succeeds powerfully but too often, the series strangles its own greatness in a tangle of romance clichés and emotional dishonesty. From episode one, the character of Dorrigo Evans (Jacob Elordi / Ciarán Hinds) is an enigma, but not in a compelling way. His terse, near-monosyllabic delivery feels less like stoic restraint and more like someone forgot to finish writing his dialogue. The older version, marbles permanently lodged in his mouth, fares no better. Instead of pulling us in, their performances often feel emotionally anaemic detached to the point of parody. And yet, in contrast, the war scenes are nothing short of extraordinary. Visceral, bleak, and grounded in human suffering, these moments carry the weight the series so desperately need8s. Watching malnourished prisoners toil on the Burmese railway, experiencing the unflinching cruelty of their captors, and seeing a man nearly beaten to death—these sequences are the soul of the show. They are raw, real, and unforgettable. But for every moment of wartime brilliance, there is a baffling descent into melodrama. The central affair—Dorrigo’s relationship with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young) is less a love story and more an extended exercise in moral repulsion. She is married to his uncle. He’s cheating not once, but repeatedly, across timelines and relationships. And the show wants us to feel for them? To root for them? It’s a hard sell. Worse still, the writing leans into their affair as if it were the emotional cornerstone of the narrative, when it often feels like a distraction from the far more potent themes of trauma, guilt, and survival. The romantic subplot isn't just misaligned—it’s offensive in its clumsy attempt to equate selfish infidelity with epic love. Scenes meant to convey longing and heartbreak instead provoke disgust, not empathy. When the story returns to the prison camps, the contrast is jarring. You ache for the men enduring inhuman conditions. You want to stay with them. But instead, you're yanked back to yet another tryst on the beach, as if the show is afraid to fully commit to its own gravitas. Still, credit must be given: the production design is stunning, the cinematography often breathtaking, and the supporting cast—particularly those portraying fellow POWs—elevate every scene they're in. If only the series had trusted its wartime narrative and let go of the overwrought romance, it might have achieved something truly timeless. In the end, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a tale of two shows: one unforgettable, the other unforgivable. It’s worth watching—for the horror, the heroism, and the haunting realism of its prison camp sequences—but don’t be surprised if you find yourself fast-forwarding through the so-called “heart.” Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/18/25 Full Review Band from G OMG!!! What a gift of an absolute masterpiece of artist endeavour with incredible acting by all. Ciaran Hinds is one of my favourite actors of all time and has that edge that makes all his roles mesmerizing and intense. Jacob Elordi has risen in ranks and that is his best work yet. Man's inhumanity to man is shown with all it's cruelty and tenderness at the same time. War is definitely hell and not enough is done for our veterans of all wars that suffer the haunting experiences and trauma that oft times they never recover from which in this case was true. It was hard to watch but I will watch it again. Not very often something comes along like this. It reminded me of Bridge on the River Kwai but more graphic. Please lets award Jacob and Ciaran an academy award and whoever produced, directed and filmed this magnificent piece of work. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/16/25 Full Review LISA V Horrific in places this is an excellent series. Great story, brilliant actors and sepia-soaked scenes in the jungle Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Intermediated C I have no idea why there are such mixed reviews about this. It was an absolute masterpiece in acting, cinematography and storytelling. It was very true to the book whilst taking some parts in an understandable different direction. My only comment is the book fleshed out some of the Japanese characters which helped it not seem as one dimensional. The show is slow paced but the pay off is so worth it, the romantic element is what gives the show is pathos and I’m not sure why people reacted so poorly to that. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/05/25 Full Review Les N Horrendous. No matter how many times Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/04/25 Full Review Terry S Disturbing, dark and brilliant. Hard to watch or even think about, but also riveting. The music is perfection and captures the feelings and confusion of the times. Stellar performances! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/03/25 Full Review Read all reviews

The Narrow Road to the Deep North — Season 1

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