The Fortress

5.8
202445m

Production

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2037, the inhabitants of Norway enjoy sheltered lives in a self-sufficient Nordic paradise. But when a deadly pandemic breaks out, they soon realize the wall supposed to protect them is now holding them prisoner.

Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: The Fortress | Official Trailer

The Fortress | Official Trailer

Seasons

7 Episodes • Premiered 2024

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 1: A New Start

1. A New Start

1.0

When a contagious salmon disease breaks out in Norway, Esther Vinter must look after the food supply in the country; Uma, Charlie and their daughter Hope are on the run for a chance at a better life in Norway.

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 2: Infected from Outside

2. Infected from Outside

2.0

Charlie manages to enter Norway as a migrant worker with Hope; Ester is busy securing the food supply but Pantogena, the salmon producer, turns out to be uncooperative; Ariel is questioned by Zara, the PM's closest employee.

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 3: Yersina Pestis

3. Yersina Pestis

1.0

Esther is busy identifying the source of the disease when the bacteria appear in an unlikely place; Charlie runs the risk of being deported; Ariel is assigned her first big job: to write a speech preventing panic from spreading in Bergen.

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 4: Secrets

4. Secrets

1.0

Esther approaches a politician for help to reveal the source of the disease; Leo pleads with Esther to leave Bergen before she catches it; Charlie, believed to be infected with the disease, is to be sent away from the farm where he works.

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 5: Black Level

5. Black Level

1.0

Esther is pressured to develop a vaccine against the resiliently mutating bacterium; PM Heyerdahl employs stringent measures to prevent the disease from spreading; Charlie gets progressively sick; Ariel's brother wants her to join him.

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 6: A New Way

6. A New Way

1.0

Esther works on developing a vaccine but is shocked to learn the bacterium is turning more aggressive; on the verge of death, Charlie is saved at the last minute; PM Heyerdahl's drastic decision forces Ariel to reconsider her loyalty.

Still image for The Fortress season 1 episode 7: The Savior

7. The Savior

1.0

Some help from an unlikely source leads Esther to discover the bacterium's natural combatants; Heyerdahl and Zara bump heads over his plan to save Norway.

Cast

Photo of Tobias Santelmann

Tobias Santelmann

Grieg Amund Heyerdahl

Photo of Selome Emnetu

Selome Emnetu

Esther Winter

Photo of Russell Tovey

Russell Tovey

Charlie Oldman

Photo of Rebekka Nystabakk

Rebekka Nystabakk

Ingvild Kamfjord

Photo of Nina Yndis

Nina Yndis

Uma Scholl

Photo of Kingsford Siayor

Kingsford Siayor

Kaptein Aksel

Photo of Eili Harboe

Eili Harboe

Ariel Mowinkel

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Reviews

D

dng7

The series is more of a propaganda rather than a representation of art in screenwriting and cinematography. A could've been beautiful idea turned to a long tasteless scrap. It lacks vision, direction and creativity.

The cohesion and flow of the story is terrible, like dropping random noise into episodes then trying to sew them together by poor writing and directing. It also lacks enough thoroughness in researching the scientific aspects of the series, thus having the appearance of a flat, inadequate picture of what the series wants to portray.

I feel bad for the Norwegians as this series poorly represents them and their culture. All I see throughout is that men of Norway both in position of authority and places of society are incompetent, unintelligible, useless and egotistic; while women are evil, conniving and scheming to reach selfish and narcissistic goals even sacrificing morals, integrity and reason.

Norway has one of the best societies I know, their culture is unique and beautiful, and the people, both men and women, are strong, respectable and capable. Instead of exhibiting the strength of its people as a collective and its rich culture amidst a quasi-dystopian background, it's just a pushing of a political agenda/propaganda. This to me is disrespectful and insensitive to the nation it wishes to describe and represent.

I respect the actors though as their performance was good amidst the terrible and tasteless narrative.

A hard pass, a waste of long viewing hours.

M

MovieGuys

4/10

Another reviewer beat me to the punch line and I can but agree that The Fortress, feels propagandised.

The pandemic, whether you believe in it or not (I don't) offered governments the opportunity to cast off democracy and behave like medical totalitarian states, under the global auspices, of a variety of un-elected, third party organisations.

What's more disturbing is even though its over, a lot of the rights we took for granted, such as free speech, freedom of expression and travel (they are testing vaccine passports in Europe, for example in Portugal), have not been returned to us or are being curtailed. Misinformation as espoused during the COVID period, is alive and well and and an excuse for all manner of abuses.

Okay, moving on, what about The Fortress as a series? Is it any good? Its comes backed by a largely talented cast but sadly, for me, it just doesn't work. The whole story overplays its chaotic aspects. Its hard not to view it as pandemic scare mongering. The result of this inconsistent script, is a tale that does not hold together, all that well, at all.

I've already alluded to the upside of decent acting, to that can be added quality production values but really its not enough to save this series.

In summary, this reviewer found it very hard not to see this as propaganda no matter how I might try. Decent acting and strong production values, don't do much, to assuage this vibe.

You've reached the end.