The Rig follows the crew of an oil rig as they face a mysterious fog that cuts off their communication with the outside world and causes some of them to have psychotic breakdowns. The series is now streaming on Prime Video.
Story
The crew members of Kinloch Bravo are met with bad news when Captain Magnus announces that they won’t be going home anytime soon because of an emergency on the North Kilscour platform.
Before their meeting could end, the lights at the oil rig started blinking, hinting at a possible blackout. Soon, the whole rig begins to shake, and a thick fog surrounds them.
The crew loses communication with the outside world and the rig nearest to them, Kinloch Charlie.
In order to make sure that the beach is receiving the rig’s signal, Magnus sends Fulmer, the crew’s radio operator, and a fellow crew member, Baz, to check on the tower. While Fulmer comes down safe and sound, Baz falls from above.
Miraculously, Baz begins to heal on his own. A rain of what looks like ashes pours down on the rig, and Baz warns the crew members about a wave that is about to hit them.
Performances
As the show mentions, it is about the crew members of the rig and not just the leaders who are leading Kinloch Bravo. It lives up to that, as each and every cast member gets enough time to shine.
Iain Glen, who plays Magnus, is the captain who makes things work on the rig. Glen never attempts to dominate the screen time. He doesn’t try to appear too righteous, as most lead characters in shows and movies of this genre do.
Glen shares a commendable partnership with Emily Hampshire, who plays Rose. They both come out as strong and reliable leaders and fill in for each other when the other is absent.
Martin Compston, as Fulmer, despite being considered one of the leads, hardly adds anything new to the show.
The rest of the supporting cast is portraying characters that are memorable and likable. Shows or movies like this, where characters are trapped in a single place, require good character work apart from a terrifying environment, and ‘The Rig’ delivers that.
Positives
‘The Rig’ has a great premise, and it wastes no time in getting things started. The show takes a few minutes to introduce some key characters. They are then built alongside the plot.
The kind of threat the crew of Kinloch Bravo is facing is unique in itself and something fresh. It doesn’t come out as something cartoonish. The show builds a good story around this supernatural threat that makes it believable.
Furthermore, the dialogue work is impressive. The crew makes claims about myths and the supernatural throughout the show. This helps build the tension around what they are facing.
The show also keeps things intense with regard to the discoveries the crew is making, with the right amount of buildup that is accompanied by the right kind of music.
Furthermore, ‘The Rig’ makes oceans sound more terrifying than any other place in the entire solar system. The show often talks about how old the ocean is and how many secrets it might be hiding.
Negatives
When the fog hits the rig for the very first time, it fails to create the haunting impact it should. It’s only when the rain of ashes pours down that it feels like the show is onto something.
On top of that, there are scenes and tasks the crew indulges in that are adventurous to watch but not helpful as long as they don’t add anything interesting to the ongoing storyline.
Verdict
‘The Rig’ is definitely a great environmental horror, with the show making the best use of the featured elements.
It suffers a bit due to some stretched-out scenarios, but, at the end of the day, makes up for it with a more real and believable ending to the story.
The Rig
Director: John Strickland, Alex Holmes
Date Created: 2023-01-06 05:30
3.5
Also Read: The Rig ending explained: Does the crew escape the wave?