Trying to distinguish oneself in a very crowded genre can be very difficult. Especially in the genre of dystopian sci-fi. We’ve seen so many movies and TV shows that all feel like the Hunger Games, Maze Runner or The 100, and see a number of ongoing tropes and similar ideas through sci-fi for decades. Tribes Of Europa may feel extremely familiar in a number of ways, but it does stand out with its good cinematography, dynamic characters, and visceral violence.
A basic synopsis: Europe’s countries have broken down into a variety of tribes after a big, bad event and now a humble family is dealing with mysterious new technology and raging factions. I was actually surprised at how engaging the story was by the end of the first episode. A lot of the elements are borrowed and we’ve seen things like this in other places. But the combination and way events play out keep the audience entertained more than expected. The four main characters, three siblings and the father do well in their respective roles, I just wish that there was a little bit more time spent on character building initially as a family even if it cost some time with the plot. There is a lot of plot here, not in overly complicated political systems or drama thought. The large amounts of the plot come from each episode’s intense amount of events. I also was surprised that I never felt rushed either, whoever edited and wrote this knew how to keep the audience’s attention almost the entire season.
Along with a good sci-fi story, there’s got to be cool technologies, visuals, and usually good action too. This is where I think Tribes of Europa actually does a really great job. All their visual effects were really good. Only a few times that things look really fake, which is surprising for the first season of a TV show. A lot of their fights and action seem to be done with practical effects and good editing to imply heavy violence and action. The fights may not have the most graceful and fantastic choreography, but they felt real and brutal. It’s also refreshing to see how punishing and intense violence can be through this show. People in real life don’t just keep running and fighting after being shot multiple times or stabbed a bunch. Here every cut, bullet wound, and punch is felt by the characters and the audience.
Overall I was surprised by the show, but there is still a lot about it that could be done to improve it. There are some story elements that could have progressed a little faster and the world designs could’ve been far more original and rich. But the constant movement of the story and intense violence made this miniseries more than just your average dystopian TV show.
