"Four investigators. Four eras. A victim. In just a few words introducing the series "Bodies", released online on Thursday, October 19, Netflix has made our mouths water. On screen, the plot takes place in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053. Each time, the body of the same naked man is discovered in the same place, in a London alley in Whitechapel (known as the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper was rampant). Two men and two women, all police officers but each at a different time, then carry out their investigations. Surveys that are bound to resonate with each other.
Adapted from a comic book by British author Si Spencer, who died in 2021, "Bodies" is quickly reminiscent of "Dark", Netflix's terrific German drama, with its mysteries peppered with time travel. The big difference is that this is a mini-series with a plot wrapped up in eight parts, whereas the previous one took place over three seasons. The plot is therefore less complex, but just as fascinating.
Each protagonist is embodied with powerful emotional depth. In 1890, Kyle Soller (seen in the Disney+ series "Andor") played Alfred Hillinghead, a family man who hid his homosexuality. In 1941, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd ("The Queen's Game") played Charles Whiteman, a Jew denigrated by his fellow police officers in the midst of World War II. In 2023, Amaka Okafor ("The Responder") is Shahara Hasan, a single mother willing to break her superiors' orders to complete her investigations.
Finally, in 2053, Shira Haas, the revelation of the mini-series "Unorthodox" already on Netflix, is a young cop loyal to the new regime set up since a catastrophe that took place thirty years earlier. Even though she doesn't appear until the end of the first installment, the 28-year-old Israeli actress once again bursts onto the screen with her magnetic charisma. In addition, in the future era, we find the always excellent actor Stephen Graham ("This Is England", "Boardwalk Empire") directing with the air of a guru. Each plays an essential role in a spiral whose magnitude is beyond them.
The production of "Bodies" is well done, the staging of the four timelines being particularly meticulous, both in terms of sets and costumes. Beyond the central mystery, each era also has its own social and political complexity. This multidimensional framework thus offers a very rich breeding ground for the screenplay that transcends genres.
Between thriller and science fiction, historical and sci-fi series, this new British nugget manages to find a nice balance. It's hard to say more about the plot without giving too much away. It is all the more exciting to discover it over the course of the episodes, with its share of surprises and revelations.
Editor's Note:
4/5
"Bodies", British series by Paul Tomalin (2023), with Amaka Okafor, Shira Haas, Stephen Graham... Eight episodes of 55 to 61 minutes each.