--- title: "Dark: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/dark/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/dark" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Dark (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 9 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like Dark, and nearly all of them reach for Stranger Things before setting it aside: this is the gloomier, more grown-up cousin, a German time-travel mystery running across three eras. Praise gathers around the atmosphere: the autumnal, near-monochrome look, the electronic score, the slow-burn dread, and a puzzle plot that most find dense but rewarding once it settles. Several single out the way families and timelines knot together. The spread is wide. The dissenters do not dispute the craft; they dispute whether anything sits beneath it. The Hollywood Reporter finds the show portentous and short on characters worth caring about, and Collider calls it one-note, technically proficient but thin on emotional insight. Even admirers concede a grim, plodding opening and an exposition-heavy first episode, and IndieWire wonders whether ten episodes can hold everything the series is attempting. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2017. The critic finds Dark a sophisticated, grown-up German-language thriller that stands out from Stranger Things with its foreboding vibe and knotty time-travel whodunnit plot across three eras. They single out the dense, slow-burn storytelling and connections between families and timelines for praise while noting minor missteps like overly melodramatic moments. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/01/dark-review-a-classy-knotty-time-travelling-whodunnit-for-tv) ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Rating 4/5. 30 November 2017. The critic calls Dark far spookier and more serious than Stranger Things, praising its Mitteleuropa gloom, monochrome visuals, electronica soundtrack and mind-bending yet simple decades-spanning conspiracy plot. They note it starts grim and plodding but builds to unnerving tension as an exploration of evil. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/german-sci-fi-mystery-far-spookier-stranger-things-dark-netflix/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2017. Tonally quite different from Stranger Things and more in line with The Returned; a complex mystery-box show that embraces melancholy and is right for those who enjoy intricate, atmospheric puzzles. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/12/dark-netflix-review.html) ## IndieWire — Steve Greene Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2017. Netflix's twisty, twisted German drama may wrestle with more than 10 episodes can contain, but it's fascinating to watch something this ambitious. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/dark-spoilers-review-season-1-ending-netflix-1201902372/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2017. The critic finds the German time-travel mystery a brooding, visually striking but overly portentous puzzle that excels at confusion and atmosphere while failing to generate emotional investment or relatable characters, unlike warmer genre peers. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/dark-review-1063180/) ## Den of Geek — Catherine Pearson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2017. The first German Netflix original makes its mark with gripping drama, intriguing characters and tantalising mystery; it will chill you to the bone and is far from a Stranger Things rip-off. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/dark-review-a-chilling-supernatural-thriller-on-netflix/) ## The Ringer — Micah Peters Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2018. The critic urges viewers to binge the German time-travel series, praising its rewarding puzzle-like structure and controlled twists over similar shows like Stranger Things. They single out its darker tone and examination of free will and memory. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/02/01/tv/dark-netflix-binge-watch-review) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2017. The critic describes it as a somber, expressionistic series that leans into Stranger Things comparisons but delivers a chillier, more detached tone focused on atmosphere over adventure or nostalgia. It singles out the eerie autumnal visuals, ticking clocks, and slow-burn dread for praise while noting the first episode's heavy exposition. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/554662/dark-review/) ## Collider — Chris Cabin Rating ★★ - Fair. 1 December 2017. The critic notes strong atmosphere, cinematography, and pacing in the early episodes but finds the series one-note and lacking deeper resonance or emotional insight beyond its plot mechanics and style. It singles out the technical proficiency and addictive qualities for some viewers while criticizing its predictability and limited substance. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dark-review-netflix/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/dark.md