Collateral (2018) Dir: SJ Clarkson
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The wonderful thing about limited series is that you know the story has a definitive runtime. It is unlikely to be bloated or contain much in the way of filler. This 4 episode BBC crime drama, written by David Hare and directed by SJ Clarkson, is compact, intriguing and full of tantalising storyline pathways.
The narrative has a lot of ingredients, and while you can see what the series was trying to do, it felt a little messy. They could have done with a fifth episode in all honesty, if only to allow more time for their subplots and character arcs to develop fully.
The end of the series is, for the most part, satisfying - although, there was one moment that left me a little disappointed, as it felt like a cop-out of sorts.
Carey Mulligan was believable and likeable as the series protagonist. She was very consistent, and carried the episodes nicely when things got a little sloppy here and there. Mulligan certainly made for a strong female lead who wasn't reliant on anyone but herself, which was refreshing as it was effective.
The other standout was the immensely talented Billie Piper. Her performance was the best of anyone, with some excellently believable and emotive scenes throughout the series. She managed to convey so much realism and subliminal emotion with her body language in particular, something she should be noted as being especially good at.
Nathaniel Martello-White was the other standout for me. His chemistry with Mulligan was particularly commendable, with his character off-setting hers quite effectively.
Jeany Spark seemed to get better and better as the series progressed, with some quietly powerful moments in the second half of the story being particular highlights of hers.
John Simm had an I triguing character and arc, and while he delivered a solid enough performance, it didn't blow me away by any means.
Ahd Kamel was another who grew into her role very nicely. Her work in the third episode was especially worthy of note.
Kae Alexander is the only one whom I was not as sold upon. While she did have a couple of decent scenes, she wasn't quite as believable as her co-stars, and unfortunately, for me at least, it really showed.
I'll also give credit to a number of other supporting names, each of whom provided solid performances; Nicola Walker, Hayley Squires, Vineeta Rishi, Orla Brady, Brian Vernel, Ben Miles, Nick Mohammed and Saskia Reeves.
Overall, this was an intriguing British crime drama with a lot to say, however, its limited episode structure proved to be a hindrance as much as a help. With a little more time, the arcs could have felt more poignant and fulfilling. Regardless, I found this to be an enjoyable and enthralling series that is very bingeable.
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