Criminal Record Review: This Apple TV+ crime thriller, starring Academy Award winner Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo in lead roles, is written by Paul Rutman and directed by Shaun James Grant and Jim Loach. The series explores race and institutional failure, and a quest to find common ground in a polarised Britain.
With 8 episodes, it follows two brilliant detectives who lock horns when a shocking anonymous phone call drives them to a confrontation over an old murder case.
Criminal Record Review
Plot and premise
The crime-drama series is an intense rollercoaster ride of emotions that takes its time to build up the threat and doesn’t rush through the waves to get to the shore. DS June Lenker is our protagonist for all intents and purposes in this agonisingly tense show that doesn’t relent for a minute. From the minute the series starts, it trickles down information to keep June and the audience on their toes as she tries to solve a decade-old murder case and butts heads with another seasoned detective.
The seasoned detective in question, DCI Daniel Hegarty, is a no-nonsense guy who looks mysterious and extremely scary for the most part. For a better part of the runtime, we are made to believe that he is the bad guy, but then he also does good things for apparently the right reasons. We are left a little vague about where he stands, although the conversations that he has with his old mates, despite being vague as well, give you a distinct feeling of where to look.
Character-driven, slow-paced storytelling
For fans of slow-paced dramas with a ton of character growth, this story will keep you hooked. There’s a ton happening, but it’s not an onslaught of things, one after another. Although the runtime feels a bit tedious, it’s necessary to create a complete storyline for everyone and everything that we see. The series collects and stitches these incidents together well to keep you invested.
With that being said, the series is a very interesting watch – it’s dark, gritty and tense. There are enough positives to keep you guessing throughout the runtime as June tries to solve a murder case that got a man incorrectly convicted for years. It feels helpless and claustrophobic sometimes, and the series plays with these emotions really well to keep you in an uncomfortable position throughout. The atmosphere is probably the best part of the series, and the payoff at the end also makes it worth it.
Performances that elevate the material
June’s character is quite grey – her work ethic and morality are admirable and make you root for her. Cush Jumbo’s portrayal of her character is quite incredible, and you feel for her more so because of the actor’s fantastic job. Her focus towards her job and her clear thought process are brilliant and make her a moral person to follow. Meanwhile, giving her a personal life that constantly challenges her makes her feel a bit annoying and unrealistic about the issues that she and her family are facing.
Meanwhile, Peter Capaldi commands attention with this serious and layered portrayal of Hegarty. He balances the delicate balance between menace and vulnerability really well.
A story rooted in institutional conflict
There’s also the racial discrimination and the social issues that pop up constantly, which are really interesting to watch, and the dark and gritty nature of the crime drama makes things uncomfortable to a great degree. The heartbreaking moments come in waves as horrible things keep happening one after another to the people trying to get justice or do some good in this world. It’s clearly an institutional issue, but the series focuses on Daniel Hegarty and his three colleagues as the villains. Although Hegarty is a good villain, he gets a bit overboard with everything after a bit, which makes things a little unbelievable – it almost borders on Disney villain sometimes.
Where the series falters
Despite all of its great moments, Criminal Record struggles with pacing. The slow-burning is effective and leaves you on edge, but stretches the runtime out as well at other times. Moreover, certain subplots lack cohesion and make certain points less impactful and extremely uneven.
Final Thoughts
There’s something about this series, which is sometimes a bit too long, that will keep you occupied with your mouth agape. It’s chilling and interesting to watch, and the grim atmosphere adds to the intensity. With excellent performances from everyone around, the series will catch your fancy instantly. A more compact and concise show would’ve been more impactful because the ending feels a bit dragged out after a while. That being said, it’s still quite entertaining and engaging.
The series will stream on Apple TV+ from January 10, 2024.