Series Review: "Criminal: UK" (2019-20).

From the creators of Stag, Criminal: France, Criminal: Germany, and Criminal: Spain comes Criminal: UK. This British police procedural series created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith. It is part of Netflix's anthology series Criminal. The first series consisted of three episodes, the same as three other series with unrelated stories set in three countries and filmed in local languages: Criminal: France, Criminal: Germany, and Criminal: Spain. Within the walls of an interrogation room and with time running out, London investigators go after three suspects, each accused of a grievous crime.

Principal photography took place at Netflix's production hub at Secuoya Studios, Ciudad de la Tele in Madrid, Spain. The same location was also used for Criminal: France, Criminal: Germany, and Criminal: Spain. Principal photography for the second season took place at Shepperton Studios, London.

The series stars Katherine Kelly, Mark Stanley, Rochenda Sandall, Shubham Saraf, Nicholas Pinnock, David Tennant, Kit Harington, Hayley Atwell, Kunal Nayyar, Sophie Okonedo, and Sharon Horgan. The glory will go to Tennant as the guest star, but Kelly deserves just as many plaudits for her equally restrained, unshowy and completely convincing performance as the officer in charge of the investigation.

It's safe to say that you can be a tourist in this series, though it may not be strictly necessary to visit all four countries to get a sense of its world. There's something crushingly repetitive about the show, primarily because of its contained setting which risks restraining the action to the point it feels claustrophobic. The filmmakers treat each story as an exercise in filmmaking logistics, and the result often feels like an absorbing and kinetic movie adaptation of a stage play. The show is a sterling example of incredibly smart, unorthodox programming. It's small-scale yet, at the same time, large-scale as it spans several countries and languages. The show manages to reach deeper into the core of police drama without the bells and whistles, tersely drilling down to the mental struggle between the police and the suspects. The show demonstrates how with excellent writing, fantastic performances and arresting camerawork, a show set almost entirely in one room can make for a gripping and thrilling watch. The show is a bold and welcome departure, but the lack of an overriding story arc means it's not a series suited to binge-watching, which would blunt its impact. The show does have its moments and it's an interesting experiment by Netflix and the makers to try and craft something new in a heavily saturated field of television. The show is a plain, no-frills drama that avoids being drab by turning the police interview room into a chessboard with only psychology allowed as a weapon. These head-to-head duels are breathless, propulsive and hypnotically gripping. It's skilfully directed and stylishly European in production values, with a haunting electro soundtrack and spare, slate grey decor. The show is a marvel of acrobatic camerawork and clever transitions. Fans of formal experiments will eat the show up - at least at first.

Simon says Criminal: UK receives: