Woman of the Dead review: A gripping tale of revenge

After her husband is murdered in front of her, a woman from a tiny ski resort town delves deeply into the mysteries of that community. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Blum works in a funeral home, and Mark, her husband, is a police officer. She witnesses a tragic accident that happens to mark when he was leaving for work on his bike. 

Later, Mark dies in the hospital. Blum begs the authorities to track down the vehicle that struck Mark’s bike.

She learns, however, that little is being done by the police to track down the driver of the vehicle that murdered Mark.

When Blum meets Dunja, she learns that she and two other women were hauled from their native countries to Austria and taken to Shornborn’s hotel. 

She also admits that Mark was the one who freed her from a trap set by some mysterious animal-masked people when she managed to escape. 

Based on the information Dunja had provided, Blum attempts to develop leads. After realizing they were involved in Mark’s killing, Blum tortures and kills both Father Jaugin and Edwin Shornborn.

Reza kills Puch Bertl, saves Blum from Puch’s restaurant, and destroys the proof. She tells Reza everything and seeks to identify the fourth unidentified perpetrator of the crimes.

Blum believes she has eliminated the individuals responsible for the deaths of Mark and the young girls when the doctor is also slain.

When Blum is interrogated and all the murder accusations against her are dropped, she learns that Massimo was responsible for all the crimes and Mark’s murder.

Massimo tries to burn her down at the mountain station, but Blum stabs him to death.

Performances

The acting consistently comes out as strong. Although Anna Maria Muhë who plays the lead character Blum is the main attraction, the entire ensemble is excellent. 

The rest of the cast doesn’t have as much time to shine as Mühe does, but they take advantage of every chance they have.

For instance, Küper, who portrays Dunja, has one of those imagined parts that may be only a throwaway element utilized as an initiating occurrence, but she manages to represent a really sad and severe aspect of what abuse actually is.

Even if several of the performances fall flat, none of the performances ever detract from any of the sequences.

Positives

The series does a terrific job of maintaining the sense of impending peril for Blum and those close to her while she looks for answers.

The biggest surprises in the series come from the gradual disclosure of Blum’s past throughout, despite the adversaries being shown as vile, repulsive characters who act whichever despicable way they choose.

In a way that is both shocking and disarming, Woman of the Dead does a fantastic job of gradually revealing the mysteries of its lead character.

A significant part is spent in the slow, simmering suspense that many mystery stories prefer to thrive on.

This series has one of the best cinematographers. It’s really breathtaking to watch sights like Blum riding her motorcycle or Mrs. Schönborn standing on a hill blanketed with snow.

The production performs a remarkable job at expertly omitting subtleties and pieces so that their final unveiling is never even suspected, in addition to placing shots perfectly amid the series’ tensest moments.

Negatives

Even if the narrative has a grim undertone, some of the situations that are depicted are illogical.

The horrific atrocities against women are carried out by persons in animal masks who don’t fully explain why they are doing it. 

It is hard for the audience to get a complete grip on those people’s intentions. 

Verdict

The story told in Woman of the Dead is incredibly tense and unsettling. The series isn’t full of thrills, but it’s never dull.

---

Also Read: Woman of the Dead ending explained: Does Bloom find her husband’s killer?