‘Population 11’ Review: A Quirky and Bloody Dark Comedy From Australia
Since following one of my favorite filmmakers (Ben Young, director of Hounds Of Love) throughout the past few years, I stumbled onto this Australian series, Population 11 (not yet available in the US) which has to be one of the quirkiest dark comedies I’ve seen since True Blood. Murder, drugs, greed, corruption, and a nice amount of violence ensue once American Andy Pruden (Ben Feldman) arrives in the small sleepy town of Bidgeegud, Australia, in search of his estranged father, Hugo.
Bidgeegud, a “town” made up of trailers, a general store/post office, a gas station, and a Chinese restaurant are each staffed by a local resident. This adds up to a population of 12. Andy’s arrival marks a point when it drops to 11 due to his father’s ambiguous and casual disappearance. What is so worrisome about the town’s “UFO Guide” going missing? Is this an alien abduction? Kidnap for ransom? Has he been turned into a pie?
As Andy begins to investigate each tenant, his once-wide world shrinks as he speaks with each eccentric character, from baker Audrey to drug runner Gareth. Hoping to gather enough evidence to locate dear old dad, time is running out and anxiety levels are rising. Hugo’s whereabouts break down to one basic and essential need: Money.
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This crime thriller slowly unlocks the secret of Andy’s sudden emergence through previous tales of insider trading, money laundering, and murder. Although he is no Marty Byrde (from Netflix’s Ozark), Feldman’s Andy is desperate to find Hugo and save the day…and those whose lives are on the line if this mystery isn’t solved. Pruden is chaotic, frenzied, and exhausting to follow. All the more fun to see a typical American bumble up so many situations, so quickly and always in the worst-case scenario. Apparently, anything that can go wrong, does and continues clinging to poor Andy at the most inconvenient time.
When he meets his soon-to-be partner, inquisitive podcaster Cassie (Perry Mooney), the two combine forces to solve the countless crimes that plague the shady town while keeping the goal at the forefront of this chaotic game: Find Hugo and find the money. However insignificant it seems, what this duo uncovers in the process is pure magic. You will be velcro to Andy’s lost-puppy motif, and happy to have hopped aboard.
The most disturbing piece of Population 11 is hearing “based on true events”, as it goes with any unbelievably outrageous tale of distorted perversion. This reigns true for this satirical series in all its surprising violence and aggression. The lies, the cover-ups, and the episode cliffhangers continue to rope in viewers until they are consumed with each individual’s story and suspected participation with a missing townsman. And although the people of Bidgeegud are void of compassion, they still remain suckers for a shocking ending. I can safely say the same.
Summary
Population 11 is one of the quirkiest dark comedies True Blood.
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