Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, Streaming, Film and TV, Rotten Tomatoes, UK News, Crime
Ellie Kemp
Topics: Netflix, Streaming, Film and TV, Rotten Tomatoes, UK News, Crime
Fans of Netflix's The Thursday Murder Club should stream an 'absolutely gripping' series featuring David Tennant next.
The movie adaptation of Richard Osmond's best-selling novel made its Netflix debut on Thursday (August 28) and has shot to the top of the streamer's most-watched charts.
In the UK, it takes the number one spot, while in the US it's in second place, below true crime documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.
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The British crime drama is set at the peaceful retirement village of Cooper’s Chase, where four unlikely friends - ex-spy Elizabeth Best (Helen Mirren), former trade union leader Ron Ritchie (Pierce Brosnan), retired psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif (Ben Kingsley) and former nurse Joyce Meadowcroft (Celia Imrie) - spend their Thursdays unraveling forgotten cold cases.
But when a brutal murder strikes disturbingly close to home, their hobby suddenly becomes deadly serious.
Behind the cozy teas and chatter lies a labyrinth of betrayal, cover-ups and justice long delayed.
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Among the ensemble cast is also Doctor Who star David Tennant, who features in a top-rated Netflix series fans should be queuing up for their next binge-watch. While The Thursday Murder Club earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 76 percent from critics, this two-season series averages at 92 percent.
The Netflix original - made up of seven episodes in total - released in 2019 with its second season following in 2020.
The show unfolds entirely within a handful of claustrophobic spaces: a police interrogation room, the adjoining observation area and a hallway, yet it still has fans 'gripped' with its tight script and psychological warfare.
Each episode introduces a new case and a new suspect, as a team of skilled Metropolitan Police interrogators probe for the truth in fiery, one-on-one exchanges.
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Leading the squad is Detective Chief Inspector Natalie Hobbs (Katherine Kelly), while Tennant portrays a doctor of a different kind; one at the centre of a chilling murder investigation.
Other guest stars include Mission: Impossible's Hayley Atwell, Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar and Game of Thrones' Kit Harington.
The show in question is called Criminal: UK and it's part of Netflix’s Criminal franchise, which also includes versions set in France, Germany and Spain.
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Rotten Tomatoes critics said of the show's first season: "Criminal's claustrophobic stylings and constantly twisting narratives pair nicely with its visual experiments, creating a crime drama that's equal parts creepy and captivating."
One fan agreed: "It’s impressive how much they were able to achieve with minimal changes in setting throughout the whole season. Excellent writing, acting and directing."
A second hailed the show 'absolutely gripping' as a third wrote: "Best viewing experience in a long time - see them all!"
The praise continued over on Google reviews, where one fan even likened the show to Mindhunter, adding: "It seemed flawless to me. There is no action but as the detectives elicit confessions from suspects in the line room, every word and every scene is charged with meaning.
"The script is tight and without a single unnecessary sentence."
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A second added: "Initially, I was expecting another two-dimensional police procedural, but after binge watching both (short!) seasons, I’m hooked."
Criminal: UK is streaming now on Netflix.