King of mysteries nails gripping case TV adaptation a spellbinding story

Demand

While I am a big fan of Stephen King’s work in general, few of his novels have gripped me from start to finish like The Outsider.

It was very exciting, therefore, to learn a TV adaptation of the intrigue-packed mystery-thriller had been put together by HBO — a studio with a quality track record.

Split across 10 episodes — all available now via Sky On Demand — the plot kicks into gear following the gruesome murder of a young boy.

Seasoned cop Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) thinks it’s an open-andshut case with the evidence strongly pointing the finger at little league coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman).

However, it soon becomes clear something all together stranger is at play – and to say any more about the story would be diving firmly into spoiler territory.

Show creator Richard Price (The Night

Of ) is faithful to the source material and the episodes’ directors – who include Bateman – do a great job with the creepy, intense mood and atmosphere; the desaturated visuals are reminiscent of the first, and best, season of True Detective – another HBO hit.

I adore Mendelsohn as an actor and he’s perfect for the role of a veteran investigator shaken to the core as he’s forced to question his beliefs and methods.

A sense of hopelessness pours out of Bateman’s prime suspect and the faultless cast also features Bill Camp (Howard) and Paddy Considine (Claude).

It’s great to see the character Holly Gibney – who features in King’s excellent Bill Hodges trilogy of books – brought to the screen, with Cynthia Erivo backing up Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale with another powerful performance.

Without giving it away, the resolution might not be for everyone; it requires more than a little suspension of disbelief. But on both page and screen I was there with this spellbinding story the whole way.