Gripping viewing with a twist
THAT old adage, “ignorance is bliss”, describes the townsfolk of Wind Gap, Missouri.
At first glance, this southern town is an Instagram gem with its luscious green hills, white picket fences, and genteel culture.
As with Big Little Lies, nothing is as it seems in Sharp Objects, which is based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same title. Flynn is the author behind the brilliant yet disturbing movie, Gone Girl.
The gruesome deaths of two young girls in town point to a pattern. A rather fetching Detective Richard Willis (Chris Messina from
Damages and The Mindy Project) is determined to leave no stone unturned in finding the killer. Meanwhile, old-school police chief Bill Vickery (Matt Craven) dismisses it as a mere coincidence – even after the arrival of investigative crime journalist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams).
Preaker has a history in this town. Her family, especially her hoity-toity mother Adora Crellin (Patricia Clarkson), is held in high esteem by the townsfolk.
More importantly, the family suffered a similar tragedy several years before when Camille lost her sister. This widened the rift between Adora and Camille, who then spiralled into an emotional meltdown, turning to alcohol and self-harm.
There are many intriguing characters. The tranquil ambiance is cleverly underpinned by darkness, lies, and deception.
Director Jean-Marc Vallée, who gave us Dallas Buyers Club and Big
Little Lies, doesn’t disappoint. He is artful at exacting the most poignant performances from this starstudded cast. He builds every scene to a gradual crescendo of misery, bitterness and rejection.
The viewer gets to bond intimately with each character, irrespective of the shades of villainy, innocence or mix of both, which Amma (Camille’s step-sister) juggles with prowess.
This is a whodunnit. But playing armchair detective won’t be easy. The truth is buried with skeletons in several closets that are starting to topple out.
I don’t know who is more shaken at the end of each episode – the characters or the viewer.
If you enjoyed the trailblazing TV series The Sinner, you will love this series, which sees Adams ditch frothy romcoms and prove her acting chops in a weighty, layered role. Her performance is spellbinding!
Another show that gets the thumbs-up is Manifest.
This mystery drama is kind of a love child of Lost and The 4400. We are already a handful of episodes in on DStv Catch Up. Be warned, once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop.
It follows a group of people who were on the Montego Air Flight 828 from Jamaica to New York City. Aside from experiencing some scary turbulence mid-air, they eventually arrive at their destination.
Now for the twist – to them, they only were away from their loved ones for a brief period. The reality is that they have been missing for almost five-and-a-half years and were presumed dead.
Despite the time gap, no one on the flight has aged. But picking up the pieces of their lives is an emotional journey laden with emotional upsets and small joys.
Then there’s the issue of the voices in their heads. You don’t want to miss this show.