Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Created and Written by Harry and Jack Williams

Broadcast: BBC One
Concluded: 24/03/19
Synopsis: Living in Amsterdam, a retired Julien Baptiste is dragged back into a life of solving mysteries.
Cast: Tchéky Karyo, Tom Hollander, Jessica Raine, Alec Secăreanu, Boris Van Severen
Episodes: Six

An old friend calls on Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) to help Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander), a British man searching for his missing niece and sex worker in Amsterdam.

Though he is retired, Julien is just as sharp and persistent in following the right leads and gleaning the truth even when duplicity and lies seem to be the second language of most.

Embarking on a journey he never foresaw, Julien is soon exposed to the criminal workings of bloodthirsty Romanian’s, an abduction ring and a secret he cannot hide from.

After the first episode, I rolled my eyes thinking this was just another British Police, Crime Drama. However, as I got deeper and deeper into the show and the mystery began to unfold, I realised just how wrong I was.

The sudden twists and turns in this series really make Baptiste what it is. The sudden jerks went on right until the last episode, and I could feel the writers thinking “Let’s not make it easy for him” which I appreciated. Just when we thought we could trust someone we couldn’t, and vice versa (and I normally pride myself on always being able to clue into the big picture). The characters were unpredictable in their thoughts and actions and in this case in particularly, props really need to go to Tom Hollander’s acting.

What I also enjoyed was that the personal aspects of Julian’s life had a subtle but effective undercurrent throughout the series.

Even though there are a plethora of British actors and actresses throughout the series it was refreshing to be out of London. Both in scenery and in setting. We know London; London police, London crime, London criminals their capabilities and their constraints. Amsterdam gave me as a viewer a new world to explore and learn.

I began Baptiste somewhat reluctantly but ended up binging all six episodes within two days. The series itself is a spin-off of the BBC Drama series The Missing, which spanned two series. I can’t understand how this new series is different in format or story but I so far prefer Baptiste to the original.

If you like gritty mysteries that keep you on your toes then Baptiste is definitely something you can’t afford to miss.

Trailer Below…..