The writing is knife-sharp. Episode 3 (“The Drownings”) is a masterclass in slow-burn dread. Fletcher is matched by Lisa Codrington as the local coroner who knows where every body is buried—literally. The show’s signature is its atmosphere : relentless gray skies, creaking wharves, and an omnipresent fog that feels like a character. When Coldwater works, it’s as tense and salty as The Terror meets Mare of Easttown .
Here’s a review of Coldwater (Season 1) in 720p, written from the perspective of a TV critic and home video enthusiast. The Show: 3.5/5 (Solid, if harrowing) The 720p Print: 2.5/5 (Watchable but dated) coldwater s01 720p
If you haven’t heard of Coldwater , you’re not alone. This 2020 Canadian indie drama flew under most radars. Set in a rain-lashed fishing outpost on Newfoundland’s remote coast, Season 1 follows disgraced former big-city cop (a grizzled, superb performance by Brendan Fletcher ) as he returns to his estranged family’s cannery. What begins as a quiet redemption story quickly curdles into a suffocating thriller about generational guilt, ecological collapse, and the poison of small-town secrets. The writing is knife-sharp
The pacing lags mid-season (Episodes 5-6 tread water), and some side plots involving a teenage eco-activist feel tacked on. The show’s signature is its atmosphere : relentless