The Sinner (2017)
This 8 episode psychological crime drama starring Jessica Biel, Christopher Abbot and Bill Pullman originally aired in the US early this year but is new to Netflix UK so let’s get into it.
It begins as many crime dramas do; we see semi-happy family Cora (Jessica Biel) and Mason Tanetti (Christopher Abbot) going about their life with their young child. From the outset something is off about Cora, she’s tense, distant and seems to struggle with intimacy and affection despite the fact that she lives right next door to and works with her in laws, it seems clear that something else is haunting her. Their family trip to the beach makes this very clear when out of the blue Cora stabs a man to death.
From the start we know that Cora is guilty so the question becomes why – this change up from the usual whodunit definitely hooks you in quickly. Although no crime drama is complete without a troubled detective, enter Bill Pullman as Detective Harry Ambrose, though not so much troubled as sad and socially awkward with a profound interest and knowledge in trees…oh and being dominated sexually. Of course Ambrose is immediately drawn into the mystery of the beautiful, seemingly normal mother and wife who randomly and brutally kills a man in front of family, friends and bikini clad strangers.
I will admit that I was hooked and blazed through it all in a matter of days but alas, I was left disappointed. Yes the characters are interesting and yes I desperately needed to know why, and yes I did appreciate that Christopher Abbot looks like Jon Snow but sounds nothing like him. But I felt rushed; the series ties itself up incredibly neatly and herein is my main issue.
Whilst the joy of having all questions answered is wonderful, it was short lived. For me the delivery was off, I didn’t believe that after a so long hiding the truth of herself to those closest to her Cora would trust Ambrose after a 3 line speech proclaiming his understanding. I didn’t believe that after Ambrose faces opposition from almost all around him they would suddenly believe in Cora as much as him (obviously new evidence became apparent but there’s no persuasion, no scene in which he changes the mind of the prosecutor). And unfortunately, I didn’t believe in the justice observed in the series, wouldn’t it be lovely to think that it would be so easy – especially when your life is in the hands of the American judicial system. For me, there was a problem with the reality created in The Sinner, there needed to be some bitterness to this series, life cannot be tied up in a neat bow especially not when you’re talking about a complex case like the one shown to us – consider this, when Riz Ahmed’s character gets sent to prison in The Night Of he begins taking drugs and joins a gang: when Cora Is jailed she joins a prayer group.
Listen; The Sinner will definitely hook you in, it’s acted well, there are turns and twists -just be wary it may not deliver. I might just be too cynical but if I were you, I’d go for Top of the Lake it’s right next to it on Netflix.
(The Sinner is based on a book of the same name by Petra Hammesfahr)