While mass school shootings are notorious in the US, it’s not a widely occurring problem in other parts of the world.
That’s the hook of “Black Space”.
The eight part Israeli crime thriller is built around this well-known subject matter but with a twist to the tale.
Directed by Ofir Lobel, the series is the brainchild of Anat Gafni and Sahar Shavit. I was hooked from start to finish as nothing was as it seems.
The series kicks off on a disturbing note - four students are killed during a shootout at Heritage High School. This happened during a Memorial Day assembly with 12th Graders in attendance.
Hanoch Tavor (Shai Avivi), who is the principal, is left dumbfounded by the violent event.
At first, the assumption is that this is a political attack.
However, the more Rami Davidi (Guri Alfi), a Special Investigations detective who is a former student of the school, delves into the investigation, the more unsettled he is by what he finds.
Amid doing his job, he is haunted by his past at the school where bullying led to him losing his eye.
This case also spills over into his personal life. His heavily pregnant wife feels neglected as his obsession to crack the case leaves him absent in their relationship.
Meanwhile, the parents of the students refuse to believe that their children could be involved in some way. Some even use their political sway to disrupt the investigation.
The teenagers, on the other hand, have their own cliques. Despite dealing with their own personal demons, the shootout leaves several of them struggling with post traumatic stress disorder. Loyalty becomes a valued currency as they scout for the possible culprits among fellow students.
“Black Space” is an unsettling watch that will leave the viewer on tenterhooks. It addresses violence, drugs, bullying and abuse on different levels. It’s hard hitting and meanders into the world of high-tech, too.
“Black Space” is currently streaming on Netflix.