One aspect of making a drama based on actual events is that we mostly know what's going to happen. This has the disadvantage of removing some of the apprehension needed to make good dramas work but it has the benefit of letting the viewer focus on other things.
And in this case, there are plenty of 'other things' to absorb. The exquisite attention to detail on the sets, the (sometimes odd) writing, the inconsistent accents of some cast members and the masterful performances of Tim Roth and Samantha Morton.
For some viewers (like me) it's worth re-familiarizing yourself with a little backstory about these characters and the events that happened, as they give some reason and motivation behind some of the strange decisions that are made.
There is probably too little material for a three-hour miniseries to satisfy a young audience and the violence of the events that unfold are implied rather than displayed... which leaves the drama somewhat lacking in suspense... especially in a story where such inventive ways were used to dispatch the victims.
In the end, this BBC drama is drab, uneventful and too long. What makes it even more difficult to digest are the choppy and confusing (and entirely unnecessary) flashbacks and flashforwards.
And in this case, there are plenty of 'other things' to absorb. The exquisite attention to detail on the sets, the (sometimes odd) writing, the inconsistent accents of some cast members and the masterful performances of Tim Roth and Samantha Morton.
For some viewers (like me) it's worth re-familiarizing yourself with a little backstory about these characters and the events that happened, as they give some reason and motivation behind some of the strange decisions that are made.
There is probably too little material for a three-hour miniseries to satisfy a young audience and the violence of the events that unfold are implied rather than displayed... which leaves the drama somewhat lacking in suspense... especially in a story where such inventive ways were used to dispatch the victims.
In the end, this BBC drama is drab, uneventful and too long. What makes it even more difficult to digest are the choppy and confusing (and entirely unnecessary) flashbacks and flashforwards.