In Bodies, four detectives in four different time periods investigate the same murder, which will change the future in an unimaginable way. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Shahara Hasan, a police detective in present-day London, chases a teenager and ends up finding a man’s dead body in Longharvest Lane, Whitechapel. What is strange is that three other detectives find the same body in the same place decades apart.
When the body is found in 1890, Alfred Hillinghead starts investigating the murder case. He has a suspect, but he is advised to drop the case. Hillinghead is a stubborn man, and this case might ruin his life.
In 1941, Charles Whiteman, a detective who has to hide his Jewish identity, runs errands for a mystery woman. He is asked to pick up the body from Longharvest Lane. Whiteman then realizes that he has gotten himself involved with dangerous people.
Lastly, Iris Maplewood comes across the body in 2053. In her case, the man is still alive, and Maplewood saves his life. Maplewood’s search for answers leads her to the truth that is hard to believe but impossible to deny.
These discoveries turn the lives of these four detectives upside down. There is a larger conspiracy at play. Can these detectives solve the mystery of the bodies when several pieces of the puzzle are missing?
Performances
Amaka Okafor is amazing as Hasan. She does seem like a detective who is determined and gentle at the same time. In her relentless search for answers, she never abandons her sensitivity, which makes others open up to her.
Kyle Soller’s sincere portrayal of Hillinghead will make the audience feel for him. There are times when Soller’s Hillinghead is extremely vulnerable. He is an open book. It takes one look at him to know all about Hillinghead’s desires and anxieties.
Jacob Fortune-Lloyd depicts Whiteman as an enigmatic man. It is hard to tell what his character is like until Esther becomes a part of his life. When Whiteman is with Esther, it is evident that he feels a lot, and Fortune-Lloyd brings out the intensity of his emotions.
Shira Haas convinces the audience that Maplewood is strong and loyal, but she does not falter even when she has to depict Maplewood’s regrets and sadness. Bodies’ plot is so believable because of the cast’s strong performances.
Positives
Bodies is based on Si Spencer’s graphic novel. It brings to the screen a unique story, and it does justice to it. From the actors’ performances to the depiction of different time periods, it is all done very well.
The writing and the storytelling will have the audience believing in everything they see onscreen, which is no small feat, considering the premise of the show.
Every episode has a surprise in store, and each of them leaves the audience with several questions. Once the show gets the audience invested in the story, they would want to binge it.
While the plot is not very realistic, the show tries to make the depiction of various happenings, like a Victorian pathologist’s post-mortem examination, as realistic as possible. These scenes will have the audience squirming in their seats.
While there are some evil as well as insane characters whose madness is terrifying, the main characters are neither good nor bad. They are all victims of their circumstances, which makes it hard to dislike any of them or condemn their choices.
Negatives
It takes some time for the audience to get invested in the plot. In the beginning, the stories of three different detectives are depicted side by side. Due to that, the plot remains muddled for a while.
Additionally, as the focus shifts from the story of one detective to another, initially it is hard to get invested in any of them. It is no longer a problem once the audience becomes familiar with them.
The show can be very dense at times. There are different time periods, and it can be hard to keep track of everything unless one pays full attention at all times.
Verdict
Bodies offers an unusual mystery that has enough twists and turns to keep the audience invested. It takes some time to familiarize them with the plot, but once that happens, it is hard to stop watching it.
Bodies
Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner, Haolu Wang
Date Created: 2023-10-20 01:54
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Also Read: Bodies summary and ending explained