Wasteland: Intense Crime Series and Quite Different!

Wasteland is the name of the series and with good reason. The poor and dispirited village Pustina is located in the northern part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. In Pustina many people are dependent on the paycheck from the coal mine surrounding the village. The mining company now wants to buy the houses from the villagers so they can expand the coal production. This request has divided the small community. Some of the villagers want to stay in their houses others want the money for their house. But besides economic hardship Pustina also struggles with problems such as juvenile delinquency, drugs, prostitution, and unemployment.

The main character in the series Hana is mayor in grey Pustina. In the beginning of episode 1 she is informed that the kindergarten’s beloved donkey is missing and shortly after she has to contact the police herself as her 14-year-old daughter Micha has not come home.

The donkey is found mutilated and killed in the nearby woods, but where is Micha? Even though she is a rebellious teenager she doesn’t just disappear. The whole village is mobilized in the search for Micha and even though everybody is sympathetic and comforting cracks soon appear in people’s loyalty and tolerance. Has Hana’s mentally ill ex-husband anything to do with Micha’s disappearance? Could it be one of the juvenile delinquents from the nearby institution? Was Micha using drugs?

During the search for Micha skeletons tumble out of the closets in the village and those skeletons have an important influence on the search. This makes the investigation so interesting to follow, but it is also quite thrilling to watch the hopelessly grey community through cultural glasses and realize that the communist ghost is still hanging over a community like Pustina.  

Wasteland is from 2016 and didn’t get the attention that it deserved. The story is told with a focus on other aspects than we are used to from similar series. The actors are excellent in their different characters and the camera technique underlines the depressing community.

If you have an open mind, you should watch Wasteland. So culturally and plot wise different from other crime series.

You can find Wasteland on HBO.

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