Review of styx (2019) by Ananisapta — 01 Dec 2019

This taut, gripping tragedy... verging on horror... is worth watching for so many reasons. I was first struck by Susanne Wolff's magnificent German doctor, embodying all the pride of her country and profession in an appealing package. But that's only the beginning.

The message of this fable is that some situations defy solution. It reflects recent German experience with the enormous influx of refugees. Despite their competence and caring, they wound up feeling overwhelmed, even that those they were trying to rescue had become their enemies. Ika Künzel and Wolfgang Fischer have elegantly encapsulated the horror gripping the West into a tightly-focused glimpse that is all the more impressive for its leanness of plot, character, and characterization.

Some of us are glibly partisan about solutions on the borders, but those who have crossed the Styx know better. This knowledge is in Dr Rike's eyes for all to see as the allegory draws to its sad, shattering close.