Fans of detective dramas need look no further, as Netflix has a series that is being hailed as the 'best' in the genre. Starring popular actor Stephen Graham, 'Bodies' is a British science fiction mystery thriller television miniseries that first aired in 2023. The show was primarily written and created for Netflix by Paul Tomalin and directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner and Haolu Wang.
Based on a Graphic Novel
The series is based on the 2014–15 DC Vertigo graphic novel of the same name by Si Spencer, with illustrations by Dean Ormston, Tula Lotay, Meghan Hetrick, and Phil Winslade. It consists of eight episodes and has garnered an impressive 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Plot Synopsis
The synopsis reads: 'The story starts with the appearance of a dead body in Longharvest Lane in the Whitechapel area of London. This same body appears in the same location in four different years – 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053 – and leads to four investigations by Metropolitan Police detectives that eventually become interlinked, with far-reaching consequences.'
Critical Acclaim
In Tudum by Netflix's listing of '11 Gripping Detective Shows to Solve the Mystery of Your Next Stream', 'Bodies' comes out on top. The critics' consensus on Rotten Tomatoes states: 'Anchored by the indispensable Stephen Graham, Bodies' multiple twisting time strands coalesce into one satisfying binge.'
One critic wrote: 'Its genius is the way it weaves four genres, each redolent of their cultural context, into one police procedural … The intricate, propulsive plot invites unstoppable bingeing.'
Another added: 'Where most mystery stories can be infinitely expanded as detectives track down leads and red herrings, each new piece of the puzzle in Bodies completely recontextualises the whole thing.'
A third critic remarked: 'A good time travel yarn can really mess you up. Remember how dislocated and awed you felt after seeing the original Terminator? ...That same sort of brow-furrowing mind massage is at work in the deep-diving Brit series Bodies.'
A fourth said: 'While there are story elements that are revisited unnecessarily or too often, the overall puzzle is captivating, exciting, and a bit mind-melting.'
Another reviewer concluded: 'I’m all wrapped up in Bodies’ ambition and the intrigue of a four-for-the-price-of-one mystery.'
'Bodies' is available to stream now on Netflix.
