It’s summer time and sometimes the only means of keeping cool is vicariously via television. If the first trailer for AMC’s new limited series “The North Water” is any indication, viewers might soon be freezing.
Here’s the synopsis, courtesy of AMC:
Set in Hull, England, and on the ice floes of the Arctic in the late 1850s, the series follows the story of Patrick Sumner (Jack O’Connell), a disgraced ex-army surgeon who signs up as the ship’s doctor on a whaling expedition to the Arctic. But the ferocity of the elements is matched by the violence of his crew mates, particularly Henry Drax (Colin Farrell), a harpooner and distinctly brutal force of nature. As the true purpose of the expedition becomes clear, confrontation between the two men erupts, taking them on a journey far from solid ground and way beyond the safe moorings of civilization.
The trailer certainly emphasizes the lawlessness of the world these characters are in, with blood and snow flying in equal measure. It feels akin to the first season of AMC’s 2018 series “The Terror,” which also took place in freezing temperatures many decades ago. In this case, there’s the added tension building between Farrell’s Henry and O’Connell’s Patrick, especially as the latter seems to be addicted to laudanum.
The series may hold a few commonalities with seaward adventure stories like “Master and Commander,” with its storyline primarily taking place on a boat, and any whaling tale remains indebted to the whale of all tales, “Moby Dick.” AMC’s series carries its own unique authenticity, however, as location work took place primarily in the Arctic, shooting on the frozen seas north of the Svalbard Archipelago. The cast and production team sailed as far as 81 degrees north to film sequences in the pack ice, the furthest point north it is believed a drama series has ever filmed before.
“The North Water” comes to us from director Andrew Haigh, who helmed “45 Years,” and is based on the novel by Ian McGuire. This is one of several projects Farrell has in the works, between his performance in the recent YA feature “Voyagers” and his upcoming role in Todd Solondz’s “Love Child.” He also has a prominent role in the upcoming Batman feature.
Watch the full trailer below.
“The North Water” premieres July 15 on AMC+.
