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Netflix's next big crime TV drama is streaming now: and the reviews are in

One to watch or one to avoid?

19 October 2023

Netflix is no stranger to crime shows, with the service positively packed with tales of illegality. It newest show is one of the most anticipated in a long time, though, with a twist that makes it a must watch.

Bodies, which is streaming now, is about a series of murders through the ages in London: the kicker is that people with the same tattoo are murdered in four separate timelines - 1890, 1941, 2023 and in the future in 2053.

It's a cracking premise, based on the comic book of the same name and is directed by Paul Tomalin who has also worked on The Outlaws and Torchwood. The cast has a star in its midst, too, with Stephen Graham along for the ride as one of the detectives trying to figure out who the killer is.

The timeline skipping tale should make for a riveting watch - and the first reviews of the show are in. Here is what the critics are saying about Bodies...


Image Credit: Netflix

The Evening Standard gives it four stars and reckons: "As TV streaming services drift ever further towards saturation point, Netflix does at least have a stand-out idea on its hands with its latest detective drama.

Cosmopolitan is a fan, with its answer to whether you should watch it: "Yes, yes, yes! Bodies is seriously binge-worthy TV. It'll leave your mind blown and you screaming at the screen with all its twists and turns."

The Telegraph is a little more lukewarm on the show, revealing that it's "an intriguing sci-fi concept and a cracking cast should make this mind-bending detective drama tick, but it's an over-earnest muddle."

The Radio Times loved it, noting: "Bodies is beautifully told. Yes, there are twists and turns that will keep you gripped, but the real test of the show is the capability of its leading cast (tick) and whether it gives us some heart to ground the, let's face it, absolutely mad story (tick)."

The Guardian calls it "perfect Autumn TV", saying: "Graphic novels tend to make incredibly interesting TV adaptations because they are able to tell stories from a completely new and interesting angle of attack. That is happening here in spades: the main characters all feel like actual characters instead of the same detective copy-and-pasted four times; the visual aesthetic for each era feels solid and complete."

The Upcoming is also a fan, revealing: "Bodies is a clever take on the crime genre because of the timelines it covers but it’s also a story of love, family and sometimes the absence of those things, too. A brilliantly crafted undertaking from Tomalin who plays this out with a vastly talented ensemble cast, Bodies is a must-watch for fans of police dramas and cryptic mysteries."

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