1899 doesn’t hold a candle to Dark, for a multitude of reasons. Dark was far more gripping, and the character development was much more complex and intimate. The script was better, the music was better, the cast was better. 1899 tries hard, but its characters aren’t as engaging or interesting and their lives don’t share as much of a common thread. Perhaps if I hadn’t already seen Dark, I would have loved 1899, but having already seen Dark, 1899 pales in comparison.

Dark was thrilling, complex, mind-bending, and subtle. 1899 is overly reliant on kitschy props and plot devices, and some of its elements, like the international aspect and the cheesy 80’s songs at the end of every episode, seem tacked on and not crucial to the story, no doubt indicative of Netflix’s desire to market to a wider, probably more American, audience.