STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful
Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) lives in the small town of Cheddar Vale in Lancashire, getting under her superior's skin and waiting for that one big break that will make her career. Teenager Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) goes missing after getting in a row with her boyfriend, John (Jack James Ryan), only to miraculously turn up unharmed. The return of her wayward father, Eddie (Barry Sloane), much to the chagrin of local resident Jim (David Threfall) who says he ruined his life. As Detective Ajunwa slewthes around, she discovers more unexplainable events that point to something more sinister.
ITVX's latest several part thriller arrived under a shower of publicity. Seemingly an attempt at a UK version of the 'sleepy small town' drama that's quite popular over there, there's little touches to it that hint at trying something different, most notably the 'fade away' shots between scenes, instead of the usual quick cut shots. As another reviewer has already noted, it doesn't work as well in the UK, a smaller, more easily accessible country than it does in the USA, but it's just one of a few problems in this Frankenstein's monster of a show, that opens with elements of dark comedy, before shifting full gear into supernatural thriller mode.
A lot of it will depend on your take on the Lancashire dialect, which is not one I personally warm to very much, especially not when it's spoken as harshly and aggressively as it is here, with foul language around the corner at every turn. None of the characters are especially likeable, especially the lead detective played by Wunmi Mosaku, whose conduct at certain stages would almost certainly be up for reprimand. What makes it worse is the 'drama school' acting from most of the cast, and the incomprehensible plot that doesn't fixedly go anywhere, and is rounded off with the most far fetched, nonsensical resolution you can imagine.
You get the feeling something different is being attempted here, and you can't blame anyone for trying something different. But if interest is expected to be sustained over six episodes, you need something a bit more coherent and polished than this. * and a half.
Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) lives in the small town of Cheddar Vale in Lancashire, getting under her superior's skin and waiting for that one big break that will make her career. Teenager Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) goes missing after getting in a row with her boyfriend, John (Jack James Ryan), only to miraculously turn up unharmed. The return of her wayward father, Eddie (Barry Sloane), much to the chagrin of local resident Jim (David Threfall) who says he ruined his life. As Detective Ajunwa slewthes around, she discovers more unexplainable events that point to something more sinister.
ITVX's latest several part thriller arrived under a shower of publicity. Seemingly an attempt at a UK version of the 'sleepy small town' drama that's quite popular over there, there's little touches to it that hint at trying something different, most notably the 'fade away' shots between scenes, instead of the usual quick cut shots. As another reviewer has already noted, it doesn't work as well in the UK, a smaller, more easily accessible country than it does in the USA, but it's just one of a few problems in this Frankenstein's monster of a show, that opens with elements of dark comedy, before shifting full gear into supernatural thriller mode.
A lot of it will depend on your take on the Lancashire dialect, which is not one I personally warm to very much, especially not when it's spoken as harshly and aggressively as it is here, with foul language around the corner at every turn. None of the characters are especially likeable, especially the lead detective played by Wunmi Mosaku, whose conduct at certain stages would almost certainly be up for reprimand. What makes it worse is the 'drama school' acting from most of the cast, and the incomprehensible plot that doesn't fixedly go anywhere, and is rounded off with the most far fetched, nonsensical resolution you can imagine.
You get the feeling something different is being attempted here, and you can't blame anyone for trying something different. But if interest is expected to be sustained over six episodes, you need something a bit more coherent and polished than this. * and a half.
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