First of all, this review will discuss plot points, but it will stay spoiler-free.
My first impression was, that it is has good actors who you will probably know from other appearances on tv/in film and who you will pleased to see again.
The show has convincing acting, a good setting and good atmosphere. It gets the mood right.
But after watching it, I must say that, all in all, it'sFirst of all, this review will discuss plot points, but it will stay spoiler-free.
My first impression was, that it is has good actors who you will probably know from other appearances on tv/in film and who you will pleased to see again.
The show has convincing acting, a good setting and good atmosphere. It gets the mood right.
But after watching it, I must say that, all in all, it's well crafted and solid, but not more.
I may have seen another screen adaptation of the story by Patricia Highsmith a long time ago, but I haven't read the book this miniseries is based upon.
So my following critique may be on the original story or on this adaptation, I don't know.
First of all, given the fact that the murderer has put a lot of effort in getting the 10 people on the island, the degree to which the murder plot itself relies on chance is remarkable.
First case in point: It relies on the weather, yes, it does.
After the second death, the rest of the guests decide to leave the island, but they can't because it's stormy outside and they can't be taken back by the ferry man.
Otherwise, they would have picked up their bags and would have just left the island. End of story. Really?
The one other thing, that bothered me was, that, if not depending on the weather, the murder plot only works because the guests behave in a certain way, when realizing someone is trying to kill them.
If they would have decided that they would stay together and never go anywhere alone, the killer would have had a big problem, even if only a couple of the guests would have followed that rule.
There is one crucial plot point, in which one guest has to behave in a specific way to create a situation, and the rest mustn't do a specific thing or otherwise it would disclose the killer's identity.
Of course it works and that's way too convenient.
And don't tell me the murder knows what kind of people he's dealing with. He never met any of them in person before the arrival on the island. And you can't predict peoples actions when they wind up in that kind of situation, unless you know them personally and you know them well.
One other thing is: the death of Lombard (Aidan Turner) is bugging me.
He's a man of the gun and he brings one with him. But the way he dies is again, a very convenient coincidence. He doesn't get killed by the unknown murderer.
If he hadn't died the way he did, how would the murder have killed him, a man who's been to war, is young and strong and who doesn't panic when in peril, but who stays calm AND bears a gun?
And yet, his death is arbitrary and couldn't have been planned. Yes: too convenient.
Adding to my major points of critique I want to add one thing:
I don't know how the guests got killed in the original book, but the way they get killed simply lacks irony.
Sure, they die in various, violent ways.
But for an intelligent thriller, I would expect that the causes of their deaths would be related to the criminal acts the murderer charges them, adding said irony. No such thing.
So, if you have nothing to do on a Sunday evening, this mini series will do.
It just didn't really convince me.
************ SPOILER ADDITION *************
For all readers who have already seen it, the following is an explanation of the crucial plot point:
The doctor helps the murderer pretend he's dead. If the doctor wouldn't have done it, the murderer would have had a severe problem continuing with his plan.
Then, when he declares the murderer dead, it would have taken only one of the guests checking for him-/herself or noticing that he's still breathing and it all would have ended right there.
Furthermore, after that situation, the doctor could have refused to meet the murderer somewhere out on the island at night in the stormy weather (is he this stupid?) and thus, staying alive.
Or the doctor could have changed his mind and tell the others.
See? It's relying way too much on chance.… Expand
And Then There Were None (2016)Your Score0 out of 10User Score
