B M

If you’re looking for suspense and set pieces then no, you won’t find them here, but if you’re prepared to hand over 102 minutes of your time and focus, there is still rich reward to be had here. I’ve seen the hype, I had no thoughts either way, and no particular desire to watch it, but once I hit play, it had my undivided attention. While I would agree with others that Gillian Anderson’s performance was her stock ‘icy Brit’ offering with the return of that cut glass accent, I thought Rufus Sewell’s performance a masterclass in portraying someone so familiar to us. It was as if he was being fed the lines as he was going along, such was his ‘in the moment’ response as the story played out, and while there were no surprises in terms of the story itself, I thought the acting created the kind of immediacy usually only experienced in live theatre. Immersive and sharply written without falling down the stereotypical journalist/tabloid photographer/television staff rabbit holes, a much parodied piece of television has been given a new lease of life. Surprisingly impressive and if I were Rufus or Billie, I’d make a start on the acceptance speeches.