Savage River (ATOM Study Guide)

Savage River (2022) is a six-part television drama series about Miki Anderson who returns to her hometown after ten years in prison, determined to finally move on with her life, only to find herself the focus of everyone’s suspicion.

When Miki Anderson returns home to Savage River, she is determined to move on with her life, but the close-knit community is not about to let her forget the past that easily.

Arriving at her childhood house, she reconnects with her family but her mother is surprisingly absent. Her twin brother tries to make her arrival as warm and welcoming as possible, but as the town slowly reacts to her return, she is reminded that her past is still very present.

Memories of her best friend Jasmine Lang are everywhere, and the ten years Miki missed of her teens and twenties are obvious. She is keen to catch up and she quickly sets out to find a job.

Only days after her return, Hugh Lang is murdered, and Miki immediately becomes the focus of everyone’s suspicion. With the local police keen to wrap things up quickly, Miki sets out to prove her innocence – forced to do the investigating herself if she wants to stay out of jail. With the police closing in, Miki manages to get city detective Rachel on side and convince her that there is more to the case. As they dig deeper into the motives of the town’s community, they uncover long-buried secrets that will cast doubt on everything.

Curriculum Links:

Savage River is a suitable resource for secondary students in Years 10–12 undertaking subjects within the learning areas of:

• English
• Literature
• Media