Following on from Monarch, looks like I'm now in "Why We Choose the Monster" territory.
Here, we follow Audrey, who flees to the depth of Alaska to escape a stalker who is making her life hell. But as the cold open makes clear, there's something like a skinwalker up there, slowly chewing it's way through the local population.
There's three main streams to the story being told. In the present day, there's Audrey's difficulties integrating with the locals, but also just surviving the isolation and difficult conditions. Linked to that, is scenes from the stalkers point of view, as he slowly tracks her down. And then finally we see their early interactions, as a sort of "how we got here".
And fair play to the chap playing the stalker, he does creepy exceptionally well. There's always a simmering edge of violence to any interactions they have, and I'm still worried about one of the characters we don't see a resolution to.
Balancing him is Izzy, Audrey's friend who has followed her up to Alaska. Seemingly stuck in her late teens, with all the emotional stability that implies. Exhausting in some manners, but have to admit the energy of the actress is infectious. Manages to pull off not simply being annoying rather well, when that's definitely a threat with that sort of character.
I also really enjoyed the ensemble - not quite as big as I might have wanted (it would have been cool to see more of the Alaskan townsfolk), but realistically this is a tightly focused thriller, and there isn't much space for the rest of them. And a decent thriller it is. You can see one of the particular confrontations coming from about the third episode, but it progresses past that in unexpected ways.
Good storytelling, well made (excellent soundscape etc), and a solid first season that sets up a second. Worth a listen.
Tagged: Audio fiction Drama Cast Dramatised Thriller Serial