Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Emma Corrin, Brit Marling, Clive Owen, Harris Dickinson, Alice Braga, Joan Chen, Raúl Esparza, Jermaine Fowler, Ryan J. Haddad, Pegah Ferydoni, Javed Khan, Louis Cancelmi, Edoardo Ballerini, Christopher Gurr, Britian Seibert, Kellan Tetlow, Neal Huff, Daniel Olson, Annette Wright.
The rise of the internet podcast has seen the amateur armchair detective morph into an investigator capable of holding court over a local case that has perplexed them and have at least a small following that are willing to delve into their possible outlandish theories and suspicions, for every mystery, every possible homicide can now leave a mark on the world wide web that could be the next big thing, the next sensation.
The question is does it come down to fame, or it is a genuine belief in restorative justice, a name resurrected for the conscious of the nation so that they can be finally left in peace and the killer being shown that just because time has passed by, it does not mean they will be forgotten as one with a stain attached to them forever.
The conundrum of the true crime podcast is a gift to the those who may not have the ability to become the sleuth in uniform, paid to feel the emotions of tracking down clues, and by placing their thoughts into a succinct narrative can at least achieve their dream of allowing the dead one last chance to point the finger at their killer.
A Murder At The End of The World is promised as a crime drama for a new generation of viewers, those who have become immersed into a place where anyone can solve a crime if they have the street smarts and audience in which to sell their own diligence; and for the most part, it succeeds in offering a perspective, an illumination that a mystery can be solved with its own enigma, that the person who immerses themselves at the heart of the puzzle is more than just a detective, but a social warrior as well.
The creators, Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, who also amazingly finds the time to add her own creativity to performing in one of the huge main roles, bring what could be argued as a modern thought to the likes of Agatha Christie’s own murder mystery offerings, one that sees a large group of people invited to a hidden hideaway owned by a mysterious benefactor whose sole aims are to solve the damage, or at least limit the oncoming disaster set in motion, and to which each one can add their own insight to the proceedings…all in the name of secrets being revealed.
On paper the seven-part series is one that does not quite feel as though as it could be intriguing, but in screen, and thanks to sublime performances by Clive Owen, Harris Dickinson, and Emma Corrin, and the stimulating cold discomfort offered by the setting of Iceland, A Murder At The End of The World verges on the absorbing, if not tremendously moving, piece of detective fiction.
Detective fiction is always evolving, and the true crime podcast generation’s involvement is no different to those who have utilised modern technology at every turn, from the use of science and CCTV, we must be open to change, but it must have the stories to match its scope and acceptance as a truth. On balance A Murder At The End of The World is an engaging acceptable addition.
Ian D. Hall