Here at FandomWire, we review the new Apple TV+ streaming series Criminal Record, and the article is spoiler-free.
The new Apple TV+ crime series Criminal Record is an unnerving criminal tale that does a wonderful job of keeping the plot shrouded in mystery for the audience. Created by writer/director Paul Rutman (Five Days, Indian Summers, and The Deep), the story follows two characters in a tension-filled chess match full of twists and turns to solve the central mystery.
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Criminal Record Plot Summary and Review
Criminal Record follows two main characters. One is an obsessive Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle-like investigator on the hunt to expose the truth, while the other may be trying to hide it. The aforementioned character is DS June Lenker (The Good Wife’s Cush Jumbo), who investigates a disturbing audio recording. A woman called an emergency line, claiming her boyfriend threatened her with a knife.
He also mentions a weapon he killed another woman with, and someone else was convicted of the murder. After some research, June thinks the case is connected to a woman named Adelaide Burrowes. The perpetrator was Errol Mathis (Tom Moutchi), who is serving time for her murder. June’s boss (Ian Bonar) keeps her away from the case.
June’s dogged determination leads her to question the man who put Mathis away, DCI Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi). He’s a powerful supervisor inside the London police establishment. Hegarty is calm under pressure, deflecting June’s question politely and quickly. His actions confuse the detective sergeant. Is Hegarty trying to protect his career or something far more sinister?
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Criminal Record is an unnerving crime series
Criminal Record is a British import with characters playing a dangerous game. The result is an unnerving series that sets a tense and suspenseful tone throughout the eight-episode run. And credit should be given to the leads who give two gripping performances.
This is the role Cush Jumbo was born to play. There’s never a second you don’t believe she’s a cop when on screen. Then there’s Capaldi, whose role is slightly more complex than it appears on the surface. He also puts an almost gentle villainous twist on the role.
Capaldi’s Hegarty never waivers. He’s stoic, poised, and calm. Always be polite, no matter how the heat begins to come around the corner. These two have terrific, standoffish chemistry, playing off each other engagingly and believably that’s always adversarial below the surface.
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Is Criminal Record Worth Watching?
This Apple TV+ series is a gripping crime series worth watching because of the lead performances and the consistent twists and turns. No matter how subtle they may be, creator Paul Rutman’s series is patient with plot and character development.
The writing leads to an overall satisfying game of cat and mouse amidst the gritty atmosphere of London’s shadowy alleyways, where the cobblestone streets hold more gray than black-and-white truths.
Criminal Record may not be a show with flash, but it has enough substance to be the equivalent of a modern-day hard-boiled detective story with intricate plots, the morally ambiguous, and plenty of suspense and intrigue.
You can stream the new series Criminal Record on Apple TV+.
8/10
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