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Netflix’s first Egyptian original series transports you to the “paranormal” world: review
From the branded Nefertiti cigarette box to the Gomhoreya newspaper, the signage of surrounding hotels and streets and more, these minute details that often go unnoticed add a certain level of authenticity to Netflix’s first Egyptian original “Paranormal” series.
Based on Ahmed Khaled Tawfik’s popular horror book series, first published in the early 1990s, Paranormal revolves around the daily life of a protagonist named Dr. Refaat Ismail (played by Ahmed Amin) who always swept away anything seemingly paranormal and based everything on science.
Amin, an actor most commonly known for playing comedic roles, delivers a captivating performance as the rather neurotic but submissive Doctor Refaat Ismail. By narrating events and thoughts from his past and present throughout the show, the actor manages to add a layer of humorous sympathy to the doctor (albeit a kind of rather dark humor) – who appears to be a strange character he prefers to keep to himself. ; so much so, in fact, that he seems to be perfectly suited for the role.
“I was a little worried when Amr Salama (the show’s director) approached me for the role,” Amin admits to Egyptian Streets, “because it’s really quite far from what I normally do, but the truth is, I see myself as a actor and there is no comedian or horror actor or action actor: an actor is an actor. “
He goes on to say that he understands why people might doubt his appointment to this particular role, yet he hopes to pleasantly surprise audiences with his portrayal of Dr. Refaat Ismail – a role he spent months preparing for.
As the first episode of the show transports audiences back and forth between Egypt of the 1940s and Egypt of the 1960s, we can experience a certain level or production that facilitates getting lost in Ismail’s childhood story and the events that they unfolded and poured into his present.
“Being the first Egyptian Netflix original program means a lot of things and, first of all, the production process itself was very different from what we were used to,” explains Paranormal producer Mohamed Hefzy, “we were able to work on the show. with resources that were not previously unavailable as producers in Egypt. “
As such, you will notice the extraordinary way these “paranormal” worlds have been constructed in a complex way, complimenting the story the audience is watching and giving space for each character to stand out in their own individual right.
It’s also worth noting the diversity in the show’s set of characters, from kids who want nothing more than to enjoy a good game of hide and seek to Ismail’s traditional and close-knit Egyptian family and even his college colleague Maggie, who somehow makes her own. Return to His Life: The cast uniquely joins in seamless chemistry that feels almost too real for the screen.
It’s perhaps the same well-written story as Tawfik, however, that seems to further elevate the show and place it in the ranks of Netflix’s bingeing. The way the story is told and the events unfolding marry in a way that makes the show seem nostalgic to the Egyptian audience and pleasantly intriguing to the international audience as well.
The horror element of the show is also translated in a rather refined way thanks to the enthusiasm of the young director (Amr Salama) in providing a product that would do justice to the books he grew up reading and loving. Perhaps it was also the show’s almost paired partnership between two directors (Salama and Majid Alansari – a working model that is quite alien to Egyptian shows) that added a layer of freshness to the way the story is told.
“If a million people read a book, there would be a million different perspectives for that book,” says Salama, “so it would be difficult to try to capture every single person’s idea of what they imagined the book was in their own. heads … that’s why, at the end of the day, I have to go back to my idea of what the books made me imagine and how they made me feel. “
He goes on to say that what he presents is how he interprets the books as an artist, creator and director. “Just like any book adaptation, there will be those who will like it and those who won’t… in the end, I just wanted to be as faithful as possible to my take on the story,” Salama tells Egyptian Streets.
Overall, each element of the show weaves together a successful first for Egypt and Netflix, creating an end product to be proud of. The haunting finale of the first episode of Paranormal, beautifully shot and set on a color palette that adds to the spooky atmosphere of Ismail’s room, is what is sure to leave audiences wanting more where it came from.
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