The Narrow Road To The Deep North TV Review: Jacob Elordi is masterful in Justin Kurzel’s limited series

Plot: The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a savagely beautiful five-part series charting the life of Dorrigo Evans, through his passionate love affair with Amy Mulvaney, his time held captive in a POW camp, and his later years spent as a revered surgeon and reluctant war hero. An intimate character study of a complex man, a compelling portrayal of the courage and cruelty of war, and an unforgettable love story that sustains one through the darkest of times.

Review: War is hell, and I do not think a film or television series has ever deviated from that sentiment. While the horrors of battle and conflict have been central to screen productions for a century, some filmmakers still manage to find new ways to give us a glimpse of what it is like for the enlisted who have served throughout history. Based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a beautiful adaptation of the book by Shaun Grant. Comprising five episodes, the limited series hails from director Justin Kurzel who directs a predominantly Australian cast that include Jacob Elordi, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge, and Simon Baker along with Ciaran Hinds and Heather Mitchell in a sprawling story that crosses five decades and blends multiple narratives into one of the most emotionally devastating World War II stories ever put on screen. It also boasts a career-defining role for Jacob Elordi, who has barely scratched the surface of his ability as an actor.

Set mainly in the 1940s during World War II through the late 1980s, The Narrow Road to the Deep North follows the life of Dorrigo Evans, played by Jacob Elordi in his youth and Ciaran Hinds later in life. At the start of the series, Dorrigo Evans is a medic deployed in the Pacific, leading a group of soldiers fighting for their very lives. When they are captured by the Japanese, Dorrigo and his men become prisoners of war forced to build a railroad. During this time, they are subjected to brutal torture that saps almost every drop of courage and perseverance they have in them. It is these trials that haunt Dorrigo for the rest of his life. Decades later, Ciaran Hinds portrays Dorrigo as a successful surgeon who is also the subject of a book about his heroic experience as a POW, something he is reluctant to discuss. As much as he is tormented by the deaths of his friends and comrades, Dorrigo is also torn by memories of his romance with Amy Mulvany (Odessa Young), his Uncle Keith’s (Simon Baker) second and much younger wife.

The series shifts between the brutal time Dorrigo spent as a prisoner in the Pacific and the time leading up to his capture when he romanced Ella (Olivia DeJonge) and subsequently married her while carrying on an affair with Amy. Both women represent very different sides of Dorrigo. Coming from a rich and established Australian family, Ella is vastly different from the poetry-loving Amy. Both relationships come with consequences that Dorrigo must reconcile while he is oppressed by his Japanese captors, including Major Nakamura (Show Kasamatsu). Amy and Ella sense things about the other, a rift that widens the longer Dorrigo is gone. In the present, Dorrigo is still married to Ella (Heather Mitchell), but is facing other challenges, including a malpractice complaint and a closeness with Rick Maison (Dan Wyllie) and his wife, Lynette (Essie Davis). The repercussions of Dorrigo’s past substantially impact his present and pull all three arcs together for a balanced look at Dorrigo as a man and as the result of the atrocities that war can wrought.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North has some fantastic performances, especially from Odessa Young and Ciaran Hinds, highlighting the beauty of love, the tragedy of loss, and the perils and brutality of war. Some truly difficult moments in this series rival Saving Private Ryan and even Schindler’s List, but for very different reasons. Jacob Elordi, who has seemingly topped every stellar performance with another masterful one, is as brilliant as ever, giving one of the most stirring and ranged characters ever put on screen. Seen as a sex symbol by many and evoking similarities to Robert Pattinson and Austin Butler, Elordi gives his performances as Dorrigo Evans a visceral humanity that shifts between quiet contemplation and a stoic nature that is on the verge of exploding on screen. The series’ early episodes have Elordi staying fairly even-keeled in his delivery while maintaining a debonair charisma when wooing Ella and Amy. Fans of Elordi will also appreciate the actor’s level of nudity in this project. However, the final chapter has at least six moments of top-notch acting that rank as Jacob Elordi’s best work.

Writer Shaun Grant, who worked with Justin Kurzel on Snowtown, True History of the Kelly Gang, and Nitram as well as David Fincher’s Mindhunter, does a fantastic job of shifting The Narrow Road to the Deep North through various time periods while keeping the audience along for the ride in understanding how the complex love triangle develops between Dorrigo, Amy, and Ella. It is so layered and well-written, while redefining what Richard Flanagan’s novel already conveyed so well. The true magic of this series is how director Justin Kurzel pulls it all together to create such a lush and beautiful picture set amidst the backdrop of so much horribleness. Kurzel, coming off the fantastic The Order, which featured Odessa Young, has done great work with projects set in period eras, notably Macbeth and True History of the Kelly Gang. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is his first television project, which allowed him to explore various eras and narrative combinations over three times the length he usually gets to work with. Kurzel is an impeccably talented filmmaker and elicits amazing performances from his full cast, whom I hope he works with again in the future.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North has already succeeded in Australia, where the novel and the cast are already very popular. Still, I hope audiences connect with it on a wider platform on Prime Video. Jacob Elordi may be the reason why many people check out the series, and his fans will not be disappointed, but this is an absolutely fantastic drama about war, love, and moving on. Ciaran Hinds is one of the most underrated actors working today, and he is exceptional here with Odessa Young and Olivia DeJonge coming in to balance out this ensemble. Jacob Elordi has raised the bar on his career yet again with a performance that people will be discussing for a long time. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an intricate drama that is sexy, disturbing, captivating, and hard to watch for all the best reasons. Do yourself a favor and watch it; you will not be disappointed.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North premieres on April 18th on Prime Video.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North

AMAZING

9

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