Finland has become a rich source for the Walter Presents team of late. Isolated is a spooky supernatural thriller that has parallels with the US series ‘Under The Dome' from about a decade ago.
If you want to avoid all spoilers, stop reading this article now.
In Under The Dome, the small down of Chester’s Mill in Maine was isolated under a strange forcefield meaning no-one could come or go. ‘Isolated' is set on the island of Utö where the islanders find themselves cut-off from the mainland.
Utö actually exists, incidentally. It’s located in the Archipelago Sea in the Baltic Sea, midway between Finland and Sweden. It is absolutely tiny – less than 1 square kilometre in size and only has around 40 inhabitants as of the most recent census. The island has a lighthouse, pilot station, a small guest harbour, a shop and a post office.
Back to the series, and the residents are bewildered and frightened by a sudden series of events. Firstly, the entire island is deafened by a terrible screeching noise that appears to have no source of origin. Once the noise stops, all power sources – phones, electronic equipment, the lighthouse – cease to work. They are unable to reach civilization or summon assistance.
But that’s not all. Other strange things that happen include huge flocks of birds seemingly flying away from the island, and packs of rats hurling themselves into the sea to escape. And then, old loudspeakers by the harbour that haven’t worked in decades start broadcasting a mayday signal from the MS Estonia. And as with Utö being a real island, the MS Estonia disaster is based on an actual incident when a ferry sank off the coast of Utö in 1994 killing 852 people in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in recent history.
The following day, the island once again suffers a repeat of the deafening sound, and almost immediately afterwards a dead body is washed up in the harbour.
Like ‘Under The Dome', there’s a lot more to this drama that the spooky supernatural events that blight the residents. We get to know many of the characters on the island, most of whom are tackling issues of their own such as divorce, financial difficulties and family conflicts. It’s an interesting window into living in such a tiny community where everyone knows and relies on each other, but where hostility and animosity is often bubbling under the surface.
I enjoy shows like this that are based real places and – to an extent with the Estonia incident – based on actual events. It’s well acted, nicely scripted, and has an intriguing plot. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers, this is definitely something to consider viewing. I’m curious to see how it pans out over the forthcoming episodes.
Walter Presents: ‘Isolated' is available as a boxset on C4 Streaming now.
