Broadchurch

Broadchurch is a character-driven British crime series that centers around the murder of an eleven year old boy in the titular town in West Bay, England, and stars the inimitable David Tennant alongside a vast mosaic of supporting cast. As this is a murder mystery series, I will gloss over the finer points of the premise and restrain myself from any spoilers. When the body of eleven year old Danny Latimer is found strewn along the beach one morning it's not long before this small-knit community finds itself under the microscope at the scrutinizing hands of Detective Alec Hardy (Tennant) and his reluctant sidekick, Detective Ellie Miller (Olivia Coleman). Everyone seems to have something to hide. Things are out of place, and it's not long before all are suspect. I went into this based upon a recommendation and I approached it with the predisposition that I would, at least, enjoy Tennants work. I'm quite pleased to say that my enjoyment exceeded all of my expectations...and here's why, sans spoilers or plot giveaways... The cast is absolutely ace - there are no weak links here, and all involved are bringing their A-game, and it's impossible to disregard the tremendous amount of emotion, and effort these actors bring to the screen. My personal favorites outside the main protagonists, as far as tertiary characters go, are Steve, and Paul. The former being a psychic that I wish had more screen time, but was used extremely well but not to the point where the plot was mired in plot conveniences, and the latter being a vicar that is both a compelling, and appropriately named character that is integral to the overall morality of the narrative. Outside the cast and plot, the score was exquisitley composed and does not fail in trilling upon your heartstrings, as the building tension of unfolding events have you on the edge of your seat like a razor dancing along piano strings. The cinematography is exceptional; every exterior shot is absolutely gorgeous, and draws you into the setting. There are a lot of well-used, off-center shots, which I am a big fan of, that continually draw the eye around the entirety of the frame through transitions that I totally fell in love with and believe a lot of fellow film nerds will appreciate. Broadchurch is one of the best murder-mystery serials I have ever seen. I loved it; it was real, it was powerful, it was emotionally raw and there were moments where I felt like I had been swept off my feet and was being beating in the chest with a hammer. As a guy that adores this genre, I can honestly say this is one of the best. I loved every minute of Broadchurch, and I highly recommend you take the time to do so yourselves. You can currently find it on Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

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