Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Written by Luke Neal & and Kelly Jones
Directed by Lewis Arnold

Broadcast: ITV
Concluded: 16th September 2020
Synopsis: Based on a true story, after the discovery of human remains in this drainage system, serial killer Dennis Nilsen is arrested.
Cast: David Tennant, Daniel Mays, Jason Watkins
Episodes: Three

It doesn’t take long for the suspicious remains found in the sewage system to be identified as human and for the man who flushed them down his toilet, Dennis Nilsen, ‘Des’ (David Tennant) to be taken into custody by local police.

What unfolds from there is a twisted tale that borders both truth and lies, which quickly become entangled. The police, led by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay (Daniel Mays) are on a deadline to identify what could be up to, or more than the fifteen bodies of young men.

However it doesn’t help that their only witness to these crimes is a seemingly ordinary man who has orchestrated everything from his own arrest to the bodies discovered.

This three episode series made for easy bingeing, and honestly any more episodes would have felt too forced.

With such a short amount of time to get a story told there was no dawdling, which I liked. All we knew about DCI Jay was that he had an ex-wife who couldn’t stand him and two sons, all of which was expressed through dialogue – we never met any of them. His life, for the window we peered through, was focused solely on identifying Des’ victims and getting him charged for their murders.

The actor Daniel Mays played his role well but there was nothing particularly standoutish about him – or perhaps it was his character and that’s what he was embodying. With that being said, anybody could have been cast in his place.

Of course the reason we all tuned in and kept watching was for Des. Thinking back, the last two roles I’ve seen David Tennant play have all been murderers, and it has to be said that he does the job incredibly well (…too well?).

Having looked at pictures of the real Dennis Neilsen, the show did a fantastic job of getting his likeness both in stature, costume and all around un-remarkableness which aided in immersed you in his story.

As frustrating as it is, and as much as I craved to know more about the deeper psychology, I liked that there was no apparent rhyme or reason for what Des did. It made me wonder whether he could be classed as insane, despite the clear mindedness of him. In fact it is his complete normalcy about it all that was most chilling, as well as his final words to DCI Jay.

Whether you are a serial killer drama enthusiast, or just want to dip your toe into that world, this three episode ITV series will sate.

Trailer Below….