Season 1 |
Episode Guide
Episode 1 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 2 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 3 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 6 – | Review Score – 3/5
Wreck knows exactly what sort of show it wants to be and unashamedly blasts toward that goal full steam ahead, regardless of fault. This campy, fun slasher at sea starts relatively brightly but as the season progresses, the weight of plot contrivances and an increasing absence of logic bogs down what should have been a solid whodunit.
Some of the issue comes from the way the series shows its hand way too early over what’s going on. The serial murder element is also super easy to figure out too and the likelihood is, you’ll have an inkling over what’s happening by the middle of episode 2.
For those unaware, the story follows 19 year old Jamie, who becomes a recruit onboard the Sacramentum. He’s infiltrated the ranks in a bid to try and find his sister Pippa, who went missing 3 months prior and whose disappearance has been chalked up to a suicide. Jamie though, suspects foul play.
When more bodies start to show up dead onboard the boat, Jamie teams up with fellow recruit Vivian and a host of other misfits to piece together what’s happening and solve the mystery of the Sacramentum before it’s too late.
With 6 episodes clocking in at around 40 minutes a piece, this is a very easy show to binge through and you can tell that’s the desired way to watch this one. If you think too hard about some of the plot elements, the narrative falls apart pretty quickly. I’m not about to spoil that here but if you can go in with minimal expectations, you’re bound to have a better time than believing this will be another outstanding slasher.
The characters themselves are all rather archetypal and Wreck has a bad habit of veering off from the main plot to give time for its two central romances to blossom. Vivian takes a fancy to first class passenger Lily, while Jamie ends up romantically linked to mysterious youth Olly. While both of these are fine on their own, when it’s muddled into the murder mystery parts, the pacing grinds to a halt and you’ll find yourself itching to get back to the action. These segments also highlight some of the pacing issues the show has – especially in episodes 3 and 4.
Speaking of the writing, all the tropes are in play here too, especially with the characters. However, this also extends to the narrative too, especially during the final few episodes where deus ex machina is used repeatedly to get our players out of tight spots. At one point it happens 3 times in the span of 15 minutes!
Having said all that, one of Wreck’s stand-out features comes from its aesthetic. The show has a distinct visual design, with plenty of bright, vibrant colours and an abundance of neon used to heighten the surreal feel to some of the sequences. There’s also a recurring motif of ducks, while one episode late on does an excellent job of repeating the colour red. I’m not about to spoil either defined meanings here though!
Wreck is absolutely fine for what it is; a campy, no nonsense thriller that’s designed to be enjoyed at surface level. When you dive a little deeper into this one, there are distinct issues with both the pacing and lack of character depth, holding this back from being a more memorable slasher.
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Verdict - 5.5/10
5.5/10