TV

Hidden Sci-Fi Show Gem on Netflix Sitting on Rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Hidden Sci-Fi Show Gem on Netflix Sitting on Rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Image credit: Netflix

This Icelandic mystery that everyone should be warming up to.

Summary

  • This show has a low viewership despite scoring high on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • The series has released no news of a second season, and fans are losing hope.
  • It was created and produced by well-known Icelandic directors and producers.

It's not uncommon for brilliant shows on Netflix and other platforms to go unnoticed. Sometimes they're released at the wrong time and overshadowed by bigger shows, sometimes they're not promoted enough or added to the new releases list and get lost among the more than 17,000 titles available to stream on the site.

But this series is different. Not only did it get lost among Netflix's other offerings, but this hidden masterpiece has remained undiscovered despite receiving a 100% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a feat few shows or movies come close to.

What is the series about?

The ominous supernatural series Katla was released in June 2021 and is set in the small, ash-covered Icelandic town of Vik, where few residents remain after a devastating volcanic eruption the year before. It all begins with the appearance of a mysterious woman covered in dark ash, and the nearly deserted town is turned upside down once again by the growing reappearance of people who died in the past, clones seemingly resurrected by the volcano.

The 8-episode season slowly builds its layers, leaving viewers with many different theories and questions as the characters grapple with the supernatural occurrences and are forced to confront their own dark secrets from the past. The unique blend of science and folklore adds to the show's intrigue as we sit through each episode desperate for answers.

Is Kalta worthy of a perfect score?

With elements of supernatural disaster, supernatural unknowns, and riveting drama, Katla (named after the Icelandic volcano) has all the makings of a top-notch sci-fi series. And though it seems undiscovered on Netflix, it easily caught the eye of critics from around the world, earning an abundance of praise.

With a high score of 79% from over 250 audience reviews and a rare and enviable 100% from Rotten Tomato critics, Katla's intersection of fact and folklore has achieved what many series can only dream of.

The mere 11 reviews for Katla once again speaks to the show's lack of exposure, but the content of those reviews again speaks to the show's excellence. One of them described the series as "a work that arouses a certain curiosity from the start and gradually expands the universe it presents to become more and more interesting."

Like other Netflix series, including Dark, Katla is in a foreign language with English subtitles, which may be what keeps many viewers from giving it the chance it deserves. Created and produced by Baltasar Kormákur and Sigurjón Kjartansson, the show will probably be better received by those who understand the Icelandic language.

Will there be a season 2?

As of February this year, almost 3 years after the release of the first season, there has been no news about the series or the possibility of a follow-up, although at one point there was speculation that a second season would be released in June this year.

If the show were to gain popularity overnight, as many other shows have, it might cause Netflix to reconsider their decision.

They say no news is good news, but in the case of Katla, the sci-fi mystery that took fans on a slow journey, no news means more waiting and hoping.