A series 'The Pack' about a group of young offenders left alone in the wild was released in the fall. Is it worth your time?
In September, the streaming service more.tv released the series 'The Pack'. This is not the platform's first project about troubled teenagers — 'Difficult Teenagers' has been running there for the second year now. Both series aim to draw attention to issues of violence and societal problems. Both call for solving these through anonymous specialized services. Each episode ends with a corresponding message containing contacts. But we are more interested in what the creators of 'The Pack' wanted to hook viewers with from an artistic point of view. That's what we'll talk about.
The Pack. The Story
Psychologist-educator Rita (Agata Muceniece) becomes the escort for a group of young offenders sent on a mountain hiking trip for rehabilitation. However, during the crossing of a dangerous mountain pass, one of the escorts is killed. The teenagers realize they will be the prime suspects, so they take Rita hostage and decide to stay in the mountains, gradually turning into a real pack.
The series description mentions that the project is an adaptation of the German series 'Wild Republic', and similarities can also be found with the project '', but upon viewing, there are far more comparisons to William Golding's 'Lord of the Flies'.
A female version of 'Lord of the Flies'? A new 'Lost'? A horror about cannibalism? Or a coming-of-age story? 'Yellowjackets' is a unique spectacle that leaves many questions but doesn't allow
Open material
Over the course of 7 episodes, the viewer not only observes the kids' journey through the mountains and the situation that has developed, but also their fates. The finale reveals the secrets of Rita, the project leader. Because, as we know, we all have skeletons in our closets.
The Pack. Atmosphere
Filming of the series began in November 2021 and ended in May 2022. It took place in the Krasnodar Territory, Dagestan, and North Ossetia. Therefore, the events unfold against a backdrop of beautiful landscapes, mountains, and rivers. Like the kids themselves, the environment can be deceptive — any stone can fall, a calm river can sweep you away, and a cave that seems like salvation can be a trap.
In addition to the overall atmosphere, saturated with green and blue colors, it is also worth paying attention to the sound design. Throughout all the episodes, compositions by domestic modern bands and rappers (for example, Drummatix) are heard, reflecting the feelings and events happening on screen.
The Composition of the Pack
The entire series can be divided into two 'Packs' — the adult cast and the teenage kids, who largely make up the expedition.
I want to quickly touch on the adult part of the series, whose story runs parallel to the narrative of the kids' movement in the mountains. And it's not really possible to single anyone out. All the characters serve as a backdrop for the stories of the kids themselves. For example, the arc about the search for Rita's husband in the expedition could be fast-forwarded without losing the plot thread. We are again told about the entrenched principles of corruption, the lack of desire to help, thereby forming an image of the 'adult' world against which the young people rebel.
More attention, of course, is drawn to the composition of the kids in the expedition. Some ended up here by accident and foolishness, which we learn about from flashbacks; someone stumbled and gave in to emotions; and some actually committed crimes. But still, will they be able to unite? After all, what is a pack? Is a pack a family? A brotherhood? A single whole?
The kids will have to answer these questions. They will establish their own rules of life, principles, and follow them. They will be ready to make sacrifices and fight to the last drop of blood. But can everyone be accepted into the pack? Perhaps someone will remain a lone wolf.
From the youth cast, it is worth noting the guys who have already proven themselves in the world of cinema — Pavel Tabakov, Yuri Nasonov, Anastasia Krasovskaya, Veronika Mokhireva. It is especially interesting to watch Mokhireva's character, Lyusya. She seems to continue the story of her heroine from the series 'Topi', engaging in healing and knowing the properties of herbs, thereby helping the kids in difficult moments.
In the end, it turned out to be a solid project about survival and the spirit of unity. The actors created good character archetypes for this genre — the hero, the leader (alpha), the healer, the deceiver, the lovers, the fool. After watching, you get the impression that we, together with the kids, went through this long physical and emotional journey, and something new lies ahead. But whether it will be bright or remain the same — everyone will decide for themselves.
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