Bloody scenes in the new Netflix series. "Bodies" are captivating
There was already one such famous Netflix series, which took place in different epochs. The finale disappointed many. Will it be the same with "The Bodies"? The first episodes serve such strong scenes that few expect them.
4:08 PM EDT, October 19, 2023
From Netflix's production description, you will learn that "Bodies" is an "unusual procedural crime drama shot based on a convoluted graphic novel, authored by Si Spencer". A bit convoluted like "Dark". That Netflix series quickly became a hit. It unfolded on multiple temporal levels, characters traveled to different realities, so sometimes it was hard to understand who was who and in what time. And so for three seasons.
In the case of "Bodies," we have four different eras, four detectives conducting an investigation, and the same body that they find abandoned on Longharvest Lane in London's East End.
The action takes place in 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. As you might expect, do not watch this with children. In the first 20 minutes, you can see how an autopsy of a mysterious body is conducted in different eras, with the most graphic happening in 1890.
Sawing into a skull and digging around in the brain? The creators hold nothing back, displaying everything on screen. Meanwhile, the dissection of the same corpse in 2023 is done using modern tools, along with an MRI, where Detective Hasan (Amaka Okafor) learns the same thing as her professional counterpart from 1890. The body is mutilated, shot in the eye, but there's not a single internal trace of a bullet.
Already in the first episode, we get the background of the first three epochs. In 1890, the issue of homosexuality is touched upon, which was then punishable by law. In 1941, World War II and the bombs falling on London serve as the backdrop, and in 2023, the detective leading the investigation is a Muslim woman who works, for example, at far-right marches. The boy who leads the detective to the body, a teenager of Asian descent, is immediately suspected as a terrorist (Sayed, played by Chaneil Kular known from "Sex Education"). The story of this boy ends dramatically, so in this case, the creators do not shy away from the camera.
The latest introduced is a story from 2053, where anomaly on Longharvest Lane is encountered by detective Maplewood (Shira Haas, who you know from "Unorthodox"). She finds a man's body - identical as in the previous three eras. Except, it's not a corpse...
The further into the forest, the more details and puzzles. Compared to the previously mentioned "Dark", Netflix's new series has less of a gloomy atmosphere, but the production is not without powerful scenes. The creators use slightly different means to engage the viewer and make them swallow the story at once. The mystery of bodies appearing in different eras is really interesting. Especially engaging are the moments from 2023 and 2053. It's primarily due to the fantastic actresses, who are hard to take your eyes off. Amaka Okafor and Shira Haas are the major strengths of this production. But let's not forget about the script and Si Spencer's graphic novel, which has had an excellent screen adaptation.
"Bodies" with a conspiracy stretched over 150 years will easily captivate viewers. There are solutions straight out of comics, tracks known from historical dramas or from films about tough cops, and a bit of science fiction, so that nobody gets bored. There are really bloody scenes here, at which you will turn your eyes away (e.g. someone bites off their own tongue) and bulge your eyes.
Netflix's new series already has its fans among reviewers. "You're going to want more and more" - writes "The Guardian". The editorial team emphasizes the "extraordinary quality of the production", which ambitiously shows as many as four different epochs and spares no money on any of them. "A satisfying gift for science fiction fans" - reports "The Hollywood Reporter" and adds that the production meets all viewer expectations. It's hard not to agree with them. Netflix has been on a roll in recent weeks. First the highly acclaimed series "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Mike Flanagan, and now "The Bodies" by Paul Tomalin.
"Bodies" is a mini-series, but it has a whopping eight episodes, almost an hour long each. Clear your calendars. The Netflix production is available from October 19th.
