The critically acclaimed crime thriller The Fall, which holds a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. The show, which aired on BBC Two from 2013 to 2016, has been praised by fans for its slow-burning tension and psychological depth.
Plot and Cast
Set in Northern Ireland, the series follows Metropolitan Police Superintendent Stella Gibson, played by Gillian Anderson, who is deployed to Belfast to reinvestigate a stalled murder inquiry. She is joined by Jamie Dornan as Paul Spector, the serial killer she must track down. Unlike conventional whodunnits, the killer's identity is revealed from the start, and the episodes focus on Gibson's meticulous investigation and Spector's double life as an ordinary husband and father who preys on young professional women.
Critical and Fan Reception
Fans have lauded the series for its immersive and spine-tingling quality. One IMDb reviewer praised Anderson's "typically outstanding portrayal" and Dornan's ability to go "deep into the mental state of the character." Another called the show "exceptionally well-written, directed, and acted. VERY dark and scary," while a third described it as "the best psychological thriller I've seen in ages." The unsettling ordinariness of Spector's character was also noted, with one viewer remarking on the strangeness of watching "someone who has such an ordinary life (wife, kids, job) being such an evil person on the inside," and another adding, "They could be us, any one of us."
Production and Legacy
The show's production values have been commended, with one reviewer noting the use of "real serial, real police people, real police building, with no unnecessary details, no unnecessary high tech gadgets or theatrics." They described it as "purely European (British-Irish) style" and observed that the second season is faster-paced than the first. The Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus calls the series "unapologetically sexy with pressure-building tension driven by plausible characters and motifs." The Fall's influence has extended internationally, inspiring a French remake titled Insoupçonnable. All three seasons are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
