94% on Rotten Tomatoes. We've found your next addiction.
Given the plethora of true crime documentaries and murder mysteries, it's rare that a TV show or film tries to break the mould by doing something different.
We're well used to the formula by now. The murder occurs, police investigate, the plot thickens, the mystery develops, trial starts, the case is closed.
This being said, there's one aspect of this process that's usually overlooked - why did the murder happen in the first place?
As The Toronto Star said in their review of The Sinner: "This series is not a whodunit; it's a why'd-she-do-it. It's such a clever conceit it leaves you asking why, too: Why hasn't this been done more often?"
In the TV mini-series, Jessica Biel plays a young mother who, when overcome by an inexplicable fit of rage, commits a startling act of violence.
The event launches an inverted and utterly surprising crime thriller whose driving force is not the “who” or the “what” -- but the “why” -- as an investigator (Bill Pullman) finds himself obsessed with uncovering the woman's buried motive. Together they travel a harrowing journey into the depths of her psyche and the violent secrets hidden in her past.
After grabbing Hollywood's attention in 2002 with The Rules of Attraction, Biel hasn't exactly found the right material that lets her display her acting talents - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Cellular, Blade: Trinity, Stealth, The A-Team and Total Recall aren't exactly what you would call memorable films - but the actress has been earning magnificent reviews for her performance in this mini-series.
At present, the anthology drama based on Petra Hammesfahr's novel of the same name has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it has been described as "the television version of a page-turner."
Here's what the critics have said:
TIME - "It all adds up to a drama that's strikingly filmed, gratifyingly smarter than it needs to be and -- better still in an era of bloated episode counts -- snappily paced."
Washington Post- "The Sinner directs all of its artistic energy toward the viewer’s empathy, which is a tricky place to be. Deglamorised and grief-stricken, Biel is immediately convincing as both a victim, of sorts and a possibly psychotic murderer. A viewer can’t help but wonder where it goes from here."
TV Fanatic - "What The Sinner does well is connect the dots. While I believe the attempt was to be a psychological thriller, instead it's a good old detective story. And Ambrose is a good detective."
The Sinner is available to watch on Netflix from November 7th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK_b-yzr2fo
