Watch Wasteland (aka Pustina)

Wasteland, also known as Pustina in its native Czech language, is a gripping crime drama series produced by HBO Europe. From the opening scene, the series draws viewers into the captivating yet unsettling world of a small Czech town where a young girl goes missing, setting off a chain of events that exposes the town's deep-seated corruption and draws in a cast of characters whose lives are bound together by secrets and lies.

One of the show's great strengths is its stunning cinematography and high production values, which capture the haunting beauty of the Czech countryside and the bleakness of the small, tightly-knit mining community where the story unfolds. The show's central mystery - the disappearance of 14-year-old Anna Krajickova - provides a taut and suspenseful narrative thread that underpins the wider themes of the series, including the corrosive effects of greed, the struggle for power, and the costs of both loyalty and betrayal.

At the heart of the story is Hana Sikorova, the town's embattled mayor and a woman with a fiercely independent streak. Hana is played with steely determination and a simmering vulnerability by Zuzana Stivinova, who gives a captivating performance as a character caught between her duty to the town and her own personal demons. As Hana tries to unravel the mystery of Anna's disappearance, she runs afoul of the town's richest and most powerful family, the Zgrayas, whose patriarch, Stepan (Jaroslav Dusek), is a swaggering, intimidating figure with a deep sense of entitlement and a willingness to use violence to get what he wants.

Meanwhile, Hana's estranged husband, Jakub, returns to town after a long absence, bringing with him a dark secret that threatens to destroy everything Hana has worked for. Jakub is played with brooding intensity by Tomas Matonoha, who brings a grim realism to his portrayal of a man haunted by his past and struggling to connect with his daughter, Monika (Klara Meliskova), whose rebellious streak leads her into dangerous territory.

As the story unfolds, viewers are drawn into a web of intrigue and betrayal that involves not just the Krajickova family and the Zgrayas, but also a smattering of other memorable characters, including a corrupt police chief, a sleazy journalist, and a young factory worker caught up in a web of blackmail and violence. The show's steadily mounting tension is punctuated by moments of sudden violence, unexpected plot twists, and haunting dream sequences that hint at a deeper, more malevolent force lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic town.

One of the most impressive things about Wasteland is how it manages to weave together so many different plot strands and characters without losing sight of its central mysteries or its overriding themes. The show's characters are complex and multi-layered, with both heroes and villains struggling to make sense of their lives and navigate the treacherous waters of a town unraveling at the seams. The show's use of location and sound is also a standout feature, with the haunting, atmospheric score by Michal Novinski perfectly capturing the mood of the show's dark and foreboding world.

Overall, Wasteland is a mesmerizing and deeply satisfying crime drama that ranks among the best of HBO's offerings. With its atmospheric setting, complex characters, and gripping narrative, it is a show that rewards close attention and rewards viewers with a deeply immersive experience that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll.

Wasteland (aka Pustina) is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (8 episodes). The series first aired on December 1, 2017.