Streaming columnist NICK OVERALL this week looks an eerie odyssey across the Atlantic, a psychological thriller wrapped in an ominous sci-fi premise.

THE creators of Netflix’s most cerebral show are back for another mind-bending mystery.

German writing duo Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese have gifted viewers a new puzzle to solve in the form of “1899”, a psychological thriller wrapped in an ominous sci-fi premise.

Netflix subscribers might be familiar with their other series “Dark”, easily one of the streaming platform’s most inventive offerings. 

The complex and interweaving plot threads of its three seasons made “Dark” not only a fascinating watch, but one of those rare experiences that can be even better on a rewatch.

With that success behind them and a new chunk of Netflix’s budget at their disposal, bo Odar and Friese have delivered another tale that both intrigues and unsettles.

It’s been tight lips on details for the plot (best for a show of this kind) but the setup alone has been enough to raise many an eyebrow, including those of this columnist. 

“1899”, set in, would you believe it, 1899, drops viewers amongst a group of European migrants who board a New York-bound steamship in search of a new life.

Their hopes of a fresh start are soon dashed when they encounter an eerily similar vessel to their own at sea, one they discover is harbouring some uncanny cargo indeed.

It’d be remiss to sail much further into spoiler territory, but it is worth saying this eerie odyssey across the Atlantic draws from the urban legend of the Bermuda Triangle – the fabled stretch of ocean where many a ship and airplane has vanished under mysterious circumstances.

One highly dubious but fun answer for the disappearance of vessels in the triangle is that they actually fall into a parallel universe or time warp. Fans of “Dark” will know that sounds oddly familiar.

The allure of the Bermuda Triangle has good television written all over it, and yet there’s never really been a quality production that delivers on that potential. However, “1899” steams confidently ahead into the unknown.

IT seems audiences just can’t get enough of period pieces with doomed matriarchs.

This year alone there’s been a series on Russian empress Catherine the Great, French Monarch Catherine de’ Medici and now it’s Marie Antoinette’s turn.

Conspicuously titled “Marie Antoinette”, this new eight parter from the BBC regales the life of the last Queen of France before the French revolution.

Those wanting to learn more about this fascinating historical figure will find a much deeper examination here than the 2006 film that starred Kirsten Dunst as the titular monarch.

This time around its German actress Emilia Schüle who dons the pastel gowns. She marches the opulent halls of Versailles with coquettish energy and the audacious attitude that Antoinette was known for.

Her story is ripe for a TV show. At just 14 years old, Antoinette became wife to heir apparent to the French throne, Louis XVI – the beginning of a life at court that would be charged with controversy and scandal.

Antoinette was accused of illegitimate children, reckless spending and harbouring sympathies for France’s enemies – particularly Austria, from where she was born.

She’d even eventually earn the unfortunate moniker of Madame Déficit as blame for France’s financial crisis was in large part dumped on her.

Is there any stock in these accusations? This new series doesn’t think so. It paints a portrait of a defiant and progressive woman, as opposed to the rumours and gossip that brought the guillotine down on her.

On Binge November 22.

HOMEGROWN action hero Russell Crowe is up front and centre of Stan this month with “Poker Face”, a new action flick that he directs and stars in.

It’s the second film that he’s taken charge of both in front of the camera and behind it, the first being 2014’s emotional, if somewhat forgettable, war film “The Water Diviner”.

With “Poker Face”, Crowe takes on the role of a tech billionaire who invites a shady consortium of players to a high-stakes poker night. Drawn by the allure of a big win, it’s soon revealed that there’s more than just chips on the table.

Secrets are uncovered, thievery breaks loose, and there’s even a revenge plot thrown into what might be one of the most eventful games of poker ever put to screen.

Can it join the ranks of other popular modern gambling films such as “Molly’s Game” and “Casino Royale”? 

With starpower that also includes the youngest Hemsworth brother, this might well be one worth rolling the dice on.

On Stan, November 22.