455. Web-series Reviews – 252

More web-series reviews…

A Remarkable Place to Die – Came in 2024. Detective Anais Mallory returns to hometown Queenstown, New Zealand and faces startling homicides. She cracks cases while confronting personal ghosts from her past.

A review from IMDB...

Love my NZ, Aussie and British murder mysteries. This was one is very promising, but there are a lot of disjointed issues. It feels like some departments got a better budget than others. The cinematography/scenery/drone department got the best budget as the vistas are gorgeous. The fact that the name of the Remarkable Mountain Range is in the title this makes sense. But other departments such as costumes, script writing, directing, and sets did not.

Script: show is episodic and serialized. Great! The detectives solve one murder per episode, but we have to deal with murder of protagonist's father and sister, which one is not resolved in last episode. This show wanted to be serious (One Lane Bridge, Toppo) but also quirky/funny (Brokenwood, My life is Murder) which is OK with me (don't enjoy One Lane Bridge) but it is done heavy-handily. The quirky character is usually the coroner or a nosey relative/friend, but here they loaded all the shows quirkiness on the poor youngest detective. Kudos to the actor who plays him and puts up with it.

Relationship between mother and main detective drove me crazy. If any viewer made a drinking game of how many times Anais went to her mom's house to make up with her or get help with the cases and got slammed out they would be sloshed. None of these scenes moved the plot forward or made any sense.

The details of the car accidents (both the first murder and detective's sister) and helicopter are played out forever in the first 3 episodes, but the finale was literally the last 10 minutes of episode 4. It happened so quickly I had to rewind to make sure i hadn't missed anything.

Anyway an OK way to see Queenstown and NZ outside a documentary compared to other murder mysteries, but not a top notch show.

My Take – A good series.

 

I, Jack Wright – Came in 2025. When Jack's will reveals his fortune largely excluded his third wife and sons, detectives Morgan and Jones suspect murder. The Wright family feud intensifies as all become suspects.

A review from iMDB...

I'm still giving the series a high rating because it's one of the best produced recently with great acting, writing and direction. The cinematography was novel in places but not to the point where it distracted me from the story and generally classically solid. The production values were great as were the pacing and soundtrack. No intrusive, annoying, deafening songs and a consistent sound level that meant I didn't need to keep my hand on the remote throughout to regulate the volume from scene to scene. That, in itself, is a rarity these days.

The story begins and is intercut with present day, true crime documentary style interviews with all the key players. It's our job to listen to them and then watch the past drama that led them to wherever they are now. A neat approach to the telling of an age-old murder mystery.

Multi-millionaire, Jack Wright, is shot at home and, at first, it's thought to be suicide. His current, third wife, discovers he changed his will just two weeks before his death and no one gets what they expect which leads to the breakdown of family relationships, anger and greed as they choose to contest the will.

Then forensics show it must have been murder but even that is not 100% confirmed in season one. I enjoyed that nothing is ever 100% certain and every episode gives us a little more background on each of the characters and their complex interactions.

I binged all six episodes in one day. Even though a slightly less intriguing and realistic mystery than "Unforgiven" but not quite as cozy as "Knives Out", the plot takes many twists and turns and by episode five, I had no idea who was responsible but was really enjoying the way the clues and back stories were unfolding.

There were a few plot holes and I found I had to take a few leaps of faith at times but, generally, I was glued to the unfolding stories which took us deeper and deeper into the characters' messy lives.

When reading some other reviews, I sadly realize how desensitized I must have become to expletives in certain shows of this calibre since I can't say they stood out to me as bothersome in this one. I was thrilled there was no nudity or gratuitous sex, though. If I ever become desensitized to that I'll give up watching new shows and satisfy my viewing entertainment with old reruns. Some of the most recent series I've watched have been full of nothing short of endless, irrelevant soft porn, which I've had to fast forward through since I've no interest in being a voyeur and adds nothing to the story.

All the actors are great in this series and work brilliantly as an ensemble cast moving the mystery forward. I enjoyed how underplayed the Detective and his Sergeant were. They just methodically got on with their investigation and led us down the path of each line of inquiry as they discovered it. He was was decent, solid cop and great with his young children at home and I look forward to the back story surrounding his wife's departure and return. Based on his 'on screen' title in his interviews, I'm intrigued to find out what happens to him in the mix.

Half way through episode six, I was concerned that there wasn't going to be enough time to resolve everything and I almost felt like it was rushed compared to the cleverly constructed pace of the previous ones. It felt a bit messy by contrast but given that it's "to be continued...." it made a bit more sense and I may have just been wishing for a concise finale so everything felt in flux.

I can understand viewers who watched it air weekly and must have been quite devastated by the lack of a denouement but having binged all six episodes, I didn't mind a bit of a rest from the engrossing discoveries and fast pace. I do think a few more episodes to end it properly in one season might have been a better choice but I eagerly look forward to a season two of the same quality and pace since there could be so much more to be discovered...and hope there is one.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Sattamum Needhiyum – Came in 2025. Sundaramoorthy is a timid yet highly intelligent lawyer who, despite his capabilities, has struggled to achieve professional success. He chose to work as a notary public due to his past failures, and except for his daughter, nobody in his family values him. Aruna is a vibrant, rebellious-natured individual who finds it difficult to join as a junior lawyer to any reputed lawyers. When Sundaramoorthy files a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) for Kuppusamy's case, who sets himself on fire in the court premises, she joins him, and they embark on a journey to provide justice to the voiceless. During the course of the investigation, they find that Kuppusamy had psychological issues and his daughter actually went missing when she was a kid. As the case turns into a maze of mysteries, a reputed lawyer like Viswanth appears as the public prosecutor, which sends the team's confidence for a toss. As they untie the knots one by one, they come to understand the societal issue that needs to be brought to light. This sets them in a race against time to find the actual person who was abducted and the puppeteers behind the curtain, before the court's final hearing date.

A review from IMDB...

The story and screenplay of the series are quite good and engaging, but it felt like the whole thing was wrapped up too quickly. The pacing could have been better balanced, especially in the final episodes. The narrative had great potential, and there were some really impactful moments, but due to the short runtime or rushed conclusion, it didn't allow enough space for the emotions and twists to fully sink in. The storyline could've been explored in more detail, giving the audience more time to connect with the characters and absorb the depth of the plot.

The casting was decent overall, but there's room for improvement. While some actors delivered strong performances, a few others didn't quite meet the mark. The girl who played the sex worker character, for instance, gave a disappointing performance. Her expressions felt forced and unnatural, which made it difficult to empathize with her character. That role demanded more emotional depth and subtlety, but unfortunately, her portrayal felt flat and unconvincing.

On the other hand, a few actors truly stood out. Saravanan's performance was impressive - he brought the right intensity and realism to his character. His body language, expressions, and dialogue delivery felt authentic, and he managed to convey the complexity of his role convincingly. Similarly, the actor who played the father character did a brilliant job. He added emotional weight to the scenes and was able to express inner conflict and pain with subtlety. Namritha MV was also excellent - her acting was natural and emotionally resonant. She added strength and depth to every scene she appeared in.

One of the highlights of the series was its major twist. It was well-placed and unexpected, and it added a refreshing layer to the otherwise straightforward narrative. The twist raised the stakes and gave a new perspective to the story. It showed that the creators were thinking beyond a simple plotline and wanted to challenge the audience's assumptions. This kind of writing deserves appreciation, as it keeps viewers hooked and curious till the end.

Given the open-ended nature of the finale and the unresolved character arcs, the series has strong potential for a Season 2. There are still many layers that can be explored - especially in terms of the aftermath of the twist, character development, and how the story evolves from there. If the creators plan a second season, it would be great to see more depth in writing, stronger performances from all cast members, and a slightly slower pace to let the story breathe.

In conclusion, this series is a solid attempt with a good plot and a few standout performances. With a little more polish - especially in character development and pacing - it could've been much better. The emotional and psychological angles are there, and if developed properly in a second season, this series has the potential to become a fan favorite.

My Take – Worth a watch!

Adios till next time😊!!