Requiem

All she had to do was take a DNA test and BAM! Just like that, she knows if Rose is her real mom or not.

Tired of people writing reviews that analyze and pick apart every damn aspect of a movie, pretending to be artistic scholars. If you are like me and just enjoy a distraction every now and then, binge on this series when you have an xtra 6 hours. It was enjoyable...not a work of art...enjoyable. All the wanna-be critics out there...RELAX!

I am very impressed by so much of the drama content coming from the BBC, this and Hard Sun show the Organisation's willingness to try something different, I love the constant psychological dramas and cop shows, but a change in tone is very welcome. Very creepy, very suspenseful, it felt like a drama that was penned for the BBC in the 1970's and given up to date acting, music and production values, the seventies was littered with awesome ghost stories, a genre that seems to have been sadly abandoned in recent times, who doesn't love a Ghost Story? So often ghost stories disappoint, but Requiem manages not only to look great, but it actually has some excellent content too, it gets better as it goes along. Very well acted, Lydia Wilson, Joel Fry and Brendan Coyle all stood out for me, as did Claire Rushbrook's very good Welsh accent.

Encompassing the elements of both the supernatural and thriller genres is a challenge not fully accomplished here. It is often "either-or" and their melting is not smooth, slowing down the pace and including unnecessary scenes and characters. The ending is also vague, leaving a certain emptiness and vacuity... The performances are just above average as well, nothing special, only Welsh landscape is a distinct "supporting actor" - at least for those been to and/or fond of the UK.

So, no flop by any means, but I know dozens of BBC series that are more dynamic and more interesting.

Requiem is a UK based supernatural mystery thriller. Its "by the numbers" stuff with more than a few well worn tropes on offer. The result is a series that works but it remains predictable fair that's on the cusp of being cliched.

What saves Requiem to a good degree is its a little "off beat". Putting aside the "Children of the Corn" all grown up look of the main character Matilda, there's some real depth and quirks to her character and the rest of the cast. This tends of successfully sideline the more obvious plot twists and turns, engaging the viewer with the characters on an emotional and personal level.

I will add that this is a "slow burn" thriller so it wont satisfy the impatient. That said, as it stands, Requiem has enough human interest elements including strong characterisations and narrative, plus well structured storytelling, to qualify as a decent, if not exceptional, short series. Eight out of ten from me.