Hulu's 'The Clearing' is Muddled Yet Entertaining

The Clearing opens in isolation: A lone woman in a lake, disappearing below the water’s surface — a young girl walking home from school on a deserted country road. Even without reading the first episode’s summary, it is clear from the moment Sara (Lily LaTorre) engages with Amy (Julia Savage) that Sara is in danger. 13-year-old Amy baits the trap, distracting Sara until her cohorts pull up in a white van and steal the young girl. Amy seems dreamy and preoccupied, while the other kidnappers — whom we shortly learn are her fellow cult members — are harsh and focused.

The series is based on the novel In the Clearing by J.P. Pomare, which in turn is modeled on the real-life Australian cult called “The Family.” This atmospheric miniseries about a cult with stolen children, set in a small Australian town in the 1980s, brims with eerie foreboding. Some things work here, such as the solid cast, and some things don’t, like the character development. The show has some great reveals and an undeniable ambiance, but something doesn’t quite gel.

Savage is captivating as Amy. She is the oldest daughter in “The Kindred,” one of ten children raised as siblings who were fraudulently adopted or stolen as infants. Sara is introduced to the other children as “Asha.” Each of the children’s names starts with the letter A; all but two have dyed platinum-blonde hair and identical outfits. There’s a Village of the Damned vibe, but all this is at the behest of the adults who control them through fear, conditioning, and corporal punishment. They eat meager portions, and the fridge is padlocked. They are not allowed toys or entertainment. They exercise and meditate together and are not permitted to leave or disobey.