Released: 20th December 2019
Number of Episodes: 8
Certificate: 18
Where to Watch: Netflix
Created by: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Starring: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allen, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring, Royce Pierreson, Eamon Farren, Lars Mikkelsen and Jodhi May
Originally released between 1993 and 2013, Andrej Sapkowski’s The Witcher achieved huge popularity in its native Poland, eventually reaching the west and becoming one of the most popular franchises of the last decade. Four years after it wowed the masses with CD Projekt Red’s “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”, the property is now entering TV to tell the original stories. While it sits below those previous efforts, Netflix’s take on the Polish tale is still a worthy effort.
Based on the first two books “The Last Wish” and “Sword of Destiny”, The Witcher follows three main characters; Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a mutated monster slayer, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), a sorceress with a torturous past and Princess Cirilla (Freya Allen), a child with extraordinary abilities destined to collide with the fate of the continent. Over eight hours, each episode plays out like a day in the life story, flashing between these three characters across a wide range of landscapes. One moment you may be unravelling Yennefer’s rough upbringing and the next you’ll see Geralt attending a lavish wedding party. This boasts strong variety, but it also reveals the main weakness of the series. The stories of Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri all unfold across three separate timelines with a final convergence left to the final episode. This can make things feel disjointed as each episode moves outside of regular chronology; the series could have done more to show its world and lore, while also giving a clearer indication of how much time has passed between episodes. This won’t be a problem for those who have read the books as the series follows each narrative thread to a tee; almost every major event and character from the novels has been mixed into the story. Just like its source material, the series is very adult-oriented, relying on a mixture of bloodshed, political intrigue, intimacy and profane comic relief to make its impact. Even if the story is tricky to follow, most viewers will appreciate the varied tone across the eight episodes. With that said, the way things wrap up is also a little rushed, not giving much time to reflect on the climatic battle that occurs.
Unlike its contemporaries, The Witcher is very heavy on dialogue, compelling the main cast to make the most of their respective roles; at times it could have been more concise, but the three main leads still do a solid job. Henry Cavill’s gruff, no-nonsense demeanour is a great fit for the White Wolf and the series establishes from the get-go that he’s far from a hero in the unforgiving setting. Yet it’s Anya Chalotra who makes the biggest impression; the often brutal and traumatic journey we see Yennefer take is presented with such a raw and visceral power that she ends up overshadowing Cavill at several points. Finally, Freya Allan does well enough as Ciri; though she doesn’t share too many ties with other characters, the arc of a princess pushed from the nest and forced to survive still carries some dramatic heft. The side characters mostly rely on tried and true characteristics, the most notable being Geralt’s bard companion Dandelion (Known as Jaskier in the series and played by Joe Batey) who provides many laughs along the way and Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May), who contrasts the typical noble monarch archetype with prowess in combat and ruthlessness in court. The performances are generally strong across the board with room for further expansion.
Aiming for full authenticity, The Witcher was shot on location in much of Eastern Europe from Hungary to Poland and the result is a visually pleasing rendition of the original fiction. Yet this is only scratching the surface; the team was clearly very passionate about bringing the author’s original vision to the screen and there’s a lot to see throughout. I was extremely impressed with the make-up and creature designs which are suitably hideous and really get across the bloody and dangerous trade that Geralt partakes in. The music features tinges of Eastern European instruments and the highlight of the soundtrack: “Toss a coin to your Witcher” is a composition brilliantly performed by Joe Batey to close out the second episode. Equally impressive are the fight scenes which have a suitably vicious edge to them alongside some great stunt-work from everyone involved. A Witcher’s synergies of swordplay, magic and potions are put on full display, another set of details the series captures incredibly well. From an adaptation standpoint, few releases in recent years have done as great a job as The Witcher and it’s sure to continue in the seasons to come.
In a fantasy genre crowded with many venerable franchises, The Witcher continues to stand out in its debut on the small screen. If you’ve read the books previously as I did, you’ll really appreciate how faithful the series is to the original source material, but newcomers will feel a little lost throughout. Combine this with its abrupt ending and The Witcher, while a committed endeavour, stops just short of being great.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)