ThiefHott Too much of everything

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

rivanerakaren Great acting, great cast, extremely well made series based on true events in my eyes its a must see show.

Paul Evans Real life events are chillingly brought to life in this three part series from ITV. A case that spanned three years, William Muncie takes on Serial killer Peter Manuel, a clever and twisted killer who took great pleasure in taunting Muncie. Manuel, a cocky and sadistic man known as The Beast of Birkenshaw, left his calling card at the scenes of his crimes, and almost got away with murder.Almost a drama of good and evil, the case of Manuel is well known, and the drama does a good job of remaining grounded and not sensationalising the events, almost subtle.The drama was very much in sage hands, Douglas Henshall is such a talented actor, bringing Muncie to life, giving him credibility. Martin Compston on the other hand, what a turn around, so used to him in Line of Duty as the handsome good guy Steve Arnott, he shows us his skills here, he injects a venom into the character, he manages to look older and sinister. A fantastic interplay between both characters.

Khun Kru Mark Compelling good guy / bad guy duel.Captivating procedural set in 1950s Scotland... and that's what is going to make it heavy going for some - because the dialogue is entirely in Scottish.But I reckon it's worth the effort because this is a really good, unpretentious and straightforward yarn based somewhat on real events which devastated a small Scottish community back at a time when a murder was always front page news.A Lanarkshire police detective, William Muncie (all-around good cop and family man) is living in an age where cops plod along looking for cold hard facts and old fashioned evidence. The idea of people killing just for fun doesn't compute and Muncie has a tough time selling his newfangled ideas. The story is simple and focuses on the drama and conflictions between the good and the evil of the two leads. The conclusion is inevitable so our focus is guided more towards the drama rather than the action. And the drama is gripping in parts, scary in other parts and always tense.Both leads are excellent although it has to be said that Martin Compston is particularly compelling as the baddie. Thankfully this commercial TV production didn't feel the need to trot out the same tired faces to play all the parts so it has an added bonus of feeling fresh and original.Of the two IMDb reviews submitted so far the American complained that the pacing was sluggish and the Brit seemed to not have an issue with that. Worth bearing in mind before you engage yourself to this. As with all British TV, the locations, cinematography and attention to set details are world class.If you binge watch all 3 episodes it racks up just over two hours of your time of which I'm sure you'll think was well spent.

Tweekums This three part mini-series, based on real events, is set in Lanarkshire where police detective William Muncie spent several years trying to bring rapist, and later murderer, Peter Manuel to justice. Muncie knows just what Manuel is like but finding the evidence will be very difficult and all the time he knows that Manuel is sure to strike again. For Manuel it is almost a game as he taunts Muncie and escalates the scale of his offences.Given that this is based on events that really happened the ultimate outcome is not in much doubt but it is still a tense watch at times. Manuel's crimes are not actually shown; not to introduce an element of doubt but I suspect because the makers thought is inappropriate to dwell on details of unpleasant real crimes that took place within living memory. Douglas Henshall does a fine job as the determined policeman William Muncie but it is Martin Compston's performance as Manuel that stands out the most; he makes the character genuinely disturbing while still being plausible. The rest of the cast are pretty solid too. The production nicely captures the feel of the 1950s; a time long before DNA evidence and CCTV cameras. Overall I'd say this was a fine drama and well worth watching.