On Netflix: ‘Hinterland’ is An Impressive Engrossing Mystery

Like I’m prone to do during late night binge-watching, sometimes I’ll browse Netflix to see what I can find. Despite the fact that services like the streaming giant supposedly cater recommendations based on your viewing history, often the emails they send me or the “because you watched this…” promos feature titles I’d never watch. A surprise than to discover on the streaming platform, Hinterland, a Welch drama with an impressively engrossing plot. Hinterland Netflix mystery

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The plot follows DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington), a new transplant to Aberystwyth in west Wales. Thrust into his first murder, the intelligent veteran inspector has no time for small talk among the members of his new team which consists of second in command and locals DI Mared Rhys (Mali Harries); the youngest of the group, DC Lloyd Elis (Alex Harries); and then DS Siân Owens (Hannah Daniel), the team’s latest recruit.

Their case baffles the hard-working quartet; they have a crime scene with a bathtub full of blood and blood coating the floor, but no body. The search begins for the homeowner even as Tom struggles with the secrets that haunt his past.

Hinterland Netflix Mystery: Why you Might Like It

+ Under the BBC production banner, this is another brilliant European produced drama that leaves us wondering why it only gets three installments (each an hour and a half on Netflix) to create a series. The plotting and mystery is always engrossing, albeit Hinterland is a show that does run a bit slow.

There’s a lot of subtext in these scripts. In other words, the episodic stories give a lot of insight into Tom’s leading character without really telling us what his past is. It’s interesting and complex, and in most cases, a bit dark for the show.

+ Though they are more unfamiliar than not, this cast is equally brilliant. Richard Harrington is from Poldark, Lark Rise to Candleford, and a handful of other less recognizable dramas; Mali Harries is from Foyle’s War (where she played Jane Milner!); and Daniel have been in EastEnders and Keeping Faith. Though the cast is always top notch, one thing these crime dramas lack over American is the solid character arcs. Don’t mistake me, there is good characters here, it’s just that their journey isn’t as prolific. That said, there’s plenty of teasing threads that carry through.

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+ Keeping on this same path (as above), if there’s something I don’t love about this, it’s that the script doesn’t explain a lot pertaining to the characters. We just meet them with little or no context; this can even at times apply to the episodic characters as well as the regulars.

+ Darker in its presentation, for those that enjoy things like Midsomer Murders, Amazon’s recent variation of Christie adaptations or really any European mystery, you may like this. It has more of the grittiness of things like Scott and Bailey, but it’s also a really good, solid production that leaves you wanting to know what scars haunt these characters; what it is that makes them tick… and curious to see what new mysteries these crime-fighters are forced to puzzle through.

You can find Hinterland (at the time of publication) on Netflix

Content (from season one only): there’s plenty of crime scenes including blood stained floors, talk of past trauma like rape or child abuse, and darker thematic elements; there may be some British slang or profanity. The final episode also has a sex scene. The rating is TV-14.

Photos: BBC