205. Web-Series Reviews – 54

More web-series reviews…

13 Commandments (13 Gobbeon) – Belgium series. Came out in 2017. A serial killer reverts to the 10 commandments in order to kick society a conscience with his crimes.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

This thirteen-part Belgian crime thriller sees the police searching for an attacker who has been targeting people based on the Ten Commandments; each attack is accompanied by the appropriate commandment. While the attacks are brutal, they are not fatal... that of course would break the commandment against killing. The attacker, dubbed 'Mozes' gains some sympathy amongst those who believe society has moved too far from Christian Ideals. The investigation is led by Peter Devriendt and his new partner Vicky Degraeve; each of whom have their own problems. Peter's daughter seems to be somewhat off the rails and Vicky's mother is in hospital with no chance of recovery following a car accident some time before. As the investigation progresses there are inevitably some false leads and Vicky finds herself in real danger.

Early on it looks as if this may be a Belgian 'Seven' but beyond the religious inspiration there are key differences; most notably that Mozes isn't a killer; something that makes a refreshing change amongst all the serial killer stories... that isn't to say he isn't brutal; his victims aren't going to fully recover. Towards the end things do get a bit melodramatic and there is a twist that some may feel goes too far. While some characters feel that Mozes's actions are justified the series makes it fairly clear that the creators don't expect viewers to sympathise with him too. The cast does a fine job with Dirk van Dijck and Marie Vinck impressing as Peter and Vicky; there is also in impressive supporting cast. Overall, I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting a fairly dark crime drama.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

In Plain Sight – An iTV series from that came out in 2016.  A three part TV miniseries about Lanarkshire's Detective William Muncie and his quest to bring to justice notorious killer Peter Manuel.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Compelling good guy / bad guy duel.

Captivating procedural set in 1950s Scotland... and that's what is going to make it heavy going for some - because the dialogue is entirely in Scottish.

But I reckon it's worth the effort because this is a really good, unpretentious and straightforward yarn based somewhat on real events which devastated a small Scottish community back at a time when a murder was always front page news.

A Lanarkshire police detective, William Muncie (all-around good cop and family man) is living in an age where cops plod along looking for cold hard facts and old-fashioned evidence. The idea of people killing just for fun doesn't compute and Muncie has a tough time selling his newfangled ideas.

The story is simple and focuses on the drama and conflictions between the good and the evil of the two leads. The conclusion is inevitable so our focus is guided more towards the drama rather than the action. And the drama is gripping in parts, scary in other parts and always tense.

Both leads are excellent although it has to be said that Martin Compston is particularly compelling as the baddie. Thankfully this commercial TV production didn't feel the need to trot out the same tired faces to play all the parts so it has an added bonus of feeling fresh and original.

Of the two IMDb reviews submitted so far the American complained that the pacing was sluggish and the Brit seemed to not have an issue with that. Worth bearing in mind before you engage yourself to this. As with all British TV, the locations, cinematography and attention to set details are world class.

If you binge watch all 3 episodes it racks up just over two hours of your time of which I'm sure you'll think was well spent.

My take – Worth a watch!

The Victim – a BBC One series that came out in 2019.  A mother seeks the whereabouts of her son's killer after he is released from prison, unleashing a series of events that surface tragic memories and unexpected consequences.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Catching all episodes one rainy day on Britbox, I came away feeling this story was an example of great television viewing. We experience the deep tragedy of a mother and family when a brutal killing takes the life of a 9 year old child. There is a long and winding road to closure. Although this scenario is an exaggerated one, we can appreciate the range of emotions and the change that she and her family experience. The mother is played by Kelly McDonald (Gosford Park/Boardwalk Empire) and her performance is superb as goes through a series of stages before ending her quest. She shows her anger by posting a photo of a suspect whose identity has been concealed. She finds herself at odds with the law over this huge miscalculation which she feels is totally justified to prevent more heinous crimes. There were enough twists and turns to keep me reeling. We see what happens when a well-balanced, professional woman and her family become caught up in a terrible tragedy. The ending is totally unpredictable. Along the way, I experienced sympathy, confusion and revulsion. Both the mother and her intended target evoke conflicting emotions. What cannot be erased is the horror of the crime. At the end, we sense the need to let go as the emotions have been played out and acted upon - in a realistic and honest way.

My take – Worth a watch!

Cheers till next time 😊!!

Daffy Definition

Dancing – The art of pulling up your feet faster than your partner can step on them😊!