A teacher comes home and discovers that his wife has left him, taking all the furniture with her. In despair, he telephones his older sister, with whom he has a nettlesome relationship. Brother and sister don't know it yet, but they're going to have to depend on each other a lot...
A blend of mystery, drama and dark comedy, "Underworld" deals with two middle-aged siblings who suddenly find themselves trapped in a blazing gang war. These two douce, law-abiding citizens are about to discover a world full of mayhem, corruption and lunacy. On the whole the series strikes a good balance between light and shadow, deftly combining the wit and fun with far darker elements.
Performances are good, with beautifully cast actors playing interesting and well-fleshed-out characters. The story proceeds in an antic, unpredictable way, involving twists that function as satire by themselves. (For example : how do you hide from a dangerous gang boss who knows where you live ? Well, you go camping in a nice big tent, in the time-approved middle-class fashion.) Indeed the movie does not shy away from social satire, for instance by describing hospitals where hard-working doctors are pushed ever harder. After a while this results in hollow-eyed, overstressed zombies taking life-or-death decisions - but don't worry, it's all going to work out fine, given that the top managers have awarded themselves a 20 percent pay rise.
It's possible to read "Underworld" as some kind of allegory on the topic of midlife crisis, what with two middle-aged protagonists rehashing their past, thinking about their parents and worrying about mortality. Note the dismal visit to a childhood holiday resort, which is essential to any good burn-out...
To end on a minor note, the series' ending feels somewhat protracted. It could easily have lost half an hour.
A blend of mystery, drama and dark comedy, "Underworld" deals with two middle-aged siblings who suddenly find themselves trapped in a blazing gang war. These two douce, law-abiding citizens are about to discover a world full of mayhem, corruption and lunacy. On the whole the series strikes a good balance between light and shadow, deftly combining the wit and fun with far darker elements.
Performances are good, with beautifully cast actors playing interesting and well-fleshed-out characters. The story proceeds in an antic, unpredictable way, involving twists that function as satire by themselves. (For example : how do you hide from a dangerous gang boss who knows where you live ? Well, you go camping in a nice big tent, in the time-approved middle-class fashion.) Indeed the movie does not shy away from social satire, for instance by describing hospitals where hard-working doctors are pushed ever harder. After a while this results in hollow-eyed, overstressed zombies taking life-or-death decisions - but don't worry, it's all going to work out fine, given that the top managers have awarded themselves a 20 percent pay rise.
It's possible to read "Underworld" as some kind of allegory on the topic of midlife crisis, what with two middle-aged protagonists rehashing their past, thinking about their parents and worrying about mortality. Note the dismal visit to a childhood holiday resort, which is essential to any good burn-out...
To end on a minor note, the series' ending feels somewhat protracted. It could easily have lost half an hour.