Culprits Review: From Taut To Tired

Shiny surfaces can hide dark secrets, and that’s definitely the case in Culprits, the slick new crime thriller series debuting on Hulu and Disney+. Marketed as a heist caper with a twist, Culprits initially hooks viewers by promising all the hallmarks of a great escape flick – elaborate planning montages, devious double-crosses, suitcases stuffed with cash. However, while the series does delve into the tension and excitement surrounding a major vault robbery, an even bigger question looms over its runtime: what happens next?

Culprits mainly chronicles the aftermath of this brazen theft, keeping us guessing who makes it out alive as a mystery assassin hunts down the crew one-by-one three years later. We experience this manhunt primarily through the eyes of Nathan Stewart-Jarrett’s protagonist David, an ex-criminal living undercover as devoted stepfather “Joe” until circumstances force him back into the lions’ den.

With his found family under threat, Joe confronts harsh truths about the lingering cost of walking on the wrong side of the law, even if the score eventually paid off. And as secrets spill out, Culprits challenges viewers to determine if its flashy facade distracts from or accentuates its darker intentions.

A Slick and Stylish Beginning That Sucks You In

Culprits kicks off on intensely intriguing ground by introducing Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as devoted stepdad Joe Petras, living an idyllic life with his fiancé Jules and soon-to-be stepkids in a quiet Washington town. But in the very next scene, the rug gets swiftly pulled out from under this wholesome image. Suddenly we’re thrown back three years, where Joe operates under the name David Marking, working as the lethal muscle for a shady London businessman mixed up in criminal dealings. Just minutes into episode one, Culprits has already established its foremost hook – our main man is living a double life packed with secrets.

These early sequences waste no time diving into the tension between David’s dark past and domestic present. Now under the alias Joe, he desperately battles cracks forming in his carefully cultivated facade while sidestepping his oblivious husband-to-be’s concerns. Stewart-Jarrett sells this chaotic tightrope act incredibly well, making it clear Joe/David deeply cares for his found family and wants this relationship to genuinely succeed. In turn, we witness palpable romantic tenderness between him and Jules, with the show emphasizing the added social scrutiny facing this queer couple in their restrictive Washington community. Their battles against prejudice from small-minded locals causes this bond with Jules and his children to resonate strongly. Compared to many action thrillers where the protagonist fights for a spouse and kids we don’t know much about, Culprits makes us truly appreciate what David stands to lose.

These emotional stakes work hand-in-hand with the series’ slick cinematic style to deliver a riveting start. After Joe’s violent double life gets exposed, stylish sequences follow him re-entering London’s criminal underworld, defined by vibrant lighting schemes and dynamic camerawork punching up the action. We see Joe’s former colleagues like the sociopathic Specialist decked out in bold costumes aligned with their larger-than-life personas. And as the central heist plays out in snippets across the early episodes, these glimpses overflow with artistic lens flares and anticipation-building insert songs. Visually and editing-wise, Culprits bursts out the gate feeling distinctive and self-assured.

Between its strong cast performances, an intriguing story structure moving between past and present, emotional weight given to relationships, and flashy aesthetics built to thrill, Culprits kicks off with a supremely compelling first few hours. Tropes of the genre may be present, but this opener subverts expectations and dazzles the eyes enough to leave you craving more, as any solid pilot should. For better or worse though, maintaining intrigue over a whole limited series proves another challenge entirely for Culprits down the line.

That Middle Sag – Repetition and Missed Opportunities

After an intriguing opener, Culprits falls into a lull once David reunites with his fellow heist crew members to confront the nameless assassin hunting them. In theory, this setup seems primed to deliver gripping cat-and-mouse tension. Unfortunately, around episodes 4-6, the series spins its wheels with repetitive sequences that ultimately diminish their own dramatic impact.

The core issue stems from how little actually happens in this midsection despite its constant sprinting between locations. Our perspective characters perpetually react to attacks a step behind the killer’s actions rather than gaining ground themselves. So while seeing this assassin dubbed “The Devil” expertly orchestrate harvesting organs or burning victims alive starts out horrifying, his growing implausibility makes these encounters lose their punch. By appearing everywhere at once with preternatural stealth, Devil starts to feel more silly than scary – like an unstoppable movie slasher rather than a believable threat.

And without substantial forward movement in the plot, intriguing concepts from the premiere also slip from focus in this section. After initially emphasizing high personal stakes based in David’s strained romantic relationship, his fiancé and children vanish from view for over two episodes. As David frantically bounces between European cities, Culprits shelves the compelling family-in-peril angle that once fueled investment in his survival. Gone also are the stylistic flourishes spotlighting supporting characters through vibrant costumes and dynamic framing – now the story grinding to a halt takes center stage.

Pacing problems plague this section, with the lingering mystery around the heist and crew members’ motives failing to fill the vacuum left by unanswered questions about Devil’s uncanny abilities. Rather than carefully parceling out reveals to sustain tension, Culprits withholds information in a way that frustrates more than intrigues. The result is an expansive middle chapter spinning its wheels without enough gas in the tank.

One could argue easing off the throttle here postpones reveals to better service the ending. But given viewers’ limited patience, padding out a thin storyline for too long risks draining their tank of goodwill dry before the closing stretch. Unfortunately in the case of Culprits, pumping the brakes right when momentum peaked causes the series to stall in an open stretch best traversed in a hurry. A bit more care feeding intrigue through character development and visual imagination in the midsection might have better sustained the flashy thrills this heist drama flaunts to reel us in.

A Final Stretch That Partially Redeems But Never Fully Satisfies

After spending multiple episodes stalled out spinning wheels, Culprits finally regains momentum later by taking some big – if not entirely earned – swings. In the climax, Blakeson chucks more left-field twists at the screen than a last-minute M. Night Shyamalan film, determined to deliver jaw-droppers regardless of coherent build-up. Do these surprises fully justify the lagging middle stretch or otherwise elevate the material? Not quite. However, this inclination towards the outlandish does restore some binge-worthy intrigue – for better and worse.

Among the increasingly ridiculous eleventh-hour heel-turns, Eddie Izzard pops up as a opportunistically shady politician angling for his own cut. The show clearly wants her prominent supporting role reveal to land as an incisive societal commentary. Unfortunately, it comes across less akin to a final puzzle piece snapping satisfactorily into place and more akin to cramming a square peg where it doesn’t quite fit. Most attempts to ground the story in ethical substance feel similarly bolted-on, with monologues lamenting elite corruption never hitting as hard as the show assumes based on thin establishment up front.

Yet some late tricks nimbly sidestep jumping sharks, instead opening fascinating character dimensions that leave you curious to learn more. The sociopathic Specialist’s unexpected encounter with an animal in the woods winkingly suggests hidden facets beneath her ruthless exterior. Similarly, a tragic backstory for a surprise traitor explains peculiar past behavior in clever fashion to reframe prior events. Moments like these may strain plausibility, but they demonstrate what’s possible working within the established world rather than awkwardly preaching about ours.

While the finale answers the necessary questions, it only partially redeems slower portions through shock value rather than smart circulation of existing details. Still,bonus points for actually sticking the landing, especially in a TV environment where planned conclusions are a rarity. Culprits may drive a sometimes rocky road getting there, but enough unpredictable new angles keep you engaged through the final laps. Could the journey have been fine-tuned given smoothed-out lulls and better-motivated themes? Absolutely. Yet closing twists inject enough eventfulness to prevent total dismissal.

A Talented Ensemble Held Together By Its Leading Man

While Culprits struggles at times to juggle its sprawling cast, a standout central performance from Nathan Stewart-Jarrett anchors the show. As protagonist David/Joe, Stewart-Jarrett compellingly balances suave confidence in the criminal world with vulnerability in domestic scenes, etching a nuanced portrait of a conflicted man fearing his past will destroy a future he desperately wants. The audience becomes invested in Joe’s well-being not only thanks to slick action sequences where Stewart-Jarrett oozes bravado, but also through the genuine tenderness exchanged with his oblivious fiancé Jules.

Surrounding Stewart-Jarrett lies a strong ensemble of supporting characters adding flavor when developed and shortchanged when overlooked. The murderous Specialist receives notable showcasing thanks to Niamh Algar fully embracing her character’s unhinged bloodlust. Algar clearly relishes casually unleashing chaos with a devilish grin. On the more refined end of the criminal spectrum, Kirby Howell-Baptiste brings several shades of cunning charm to the quick-witted Officer. Howell-Baptiste plainly has fun bantering with contacts during her schemes. Between these vividly distinct villainous women and Gemma Arterton’s icy-but-alluring kingpin Harewood, Culprits features multiple women thriving in spaces often strictly reserved for male anti-heroes.

Unfortunately, dimensional writing across the ensemble remains sporadic. While Specialist and Officer receive attention early on, insights into the supporting criminals’ lives generally fade as focus fixates on the external threat. We learn titillating tidbits about what makes certain members tick, but rarely gain meaningful understanding beyond the superficial. So when these characters meet their demise down the line, tragedy lacks the resonance it might have held given fuller establishment up front. With more grounded bonds formed through backstories between Joe and his crew, it may have better serviced themes regarding the price of past misdeeds finally coming due.

Nevertheless, Culprits stays entertaining enough minute-to-minute largely thanks to committed performances wrestling intrigue from scenes sometimes underserving them on paper. Flashes of buddy chemistry between Stewart-Jarrett and co-stars like Tara Abboud hint at relationships left unfortunately unexplored across the too-slim eight hours. While these connections make you hungry for a sequel digging deeper, the talent involved at least inspires faith that sturdier writing could have elevated this specific story further. Though when all feels mechanics else unravels, we find reassurance in the show’s formidable frontman.

A Feast For The Eyes … At Least Initially

Say what you will about problems plaguing Culprits’ plot and characters, but few could accuse its visual craftsmanship of dropping the ball. Dripping in style and technical polish, the show’s first few entries set an enticing aesthetic course even when later episodes downshift away from flashy components separating the look from standard small-screen fare. For at least a while anyway, Culprits fills the screen with the epic cinematic touches and vibrant comic book colors that demand attention and set pulses pounding.

From the opening minutes, audiences bear witness to slick sequences seamlessly alternating between quiet character moments and bursts of adrenaline. Much credit belongs to cinematographers Philipp Blaubach and Anna Valdez-Hanks, whose nimble camera dynamically tracks the action during fights and chases without losing clarity. Whether we’re traversing European cities and wooded hideaways or getting intimate with characters’ emotional states, frame compositions accentuate key visual details. And when the central heist springs to life bit-by-bit, quick cuts and slow motion are precisely employed alongside tension-multiplying musical cues straight out of an edgy music video.

Adding stylish flourish, a bold sartorial sensibility also distinguishes the characters. Gemma Arterton’s refined boss Harewood sports sharp suits as meticulously constructed as her cunning plans. Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s shrewd wheeler-dealer Officer flashes ostentatious swagger behind huge spectacles that resemble works of art themselves. Most flamboyantly, Niamh Algar’s wildcard Specialist pairs her all-white assassin jacket with ever-present combat boots announcing her anarchic presence. Culprits understands the crime genre expectation to deliver larger-than-life personas visualized through iconic costuming choices.

Unfortunately, Culprits fails to sustain visual momentum once the plot stagnates amid back-half episodes. Gone are the striking costumes and urban landscapes popping with nightlife atmosphere or old-world architectural texture. As the story spins its wheels, dynamism fades from the frame to match repetitive events lacking narrative purpose. Yet the early action’s pulpy style points to untapped potential, making one wonder what aesthetic heights later sequences might have reached anchored to meatier material. In an ideal world, this show might have consistently fired on all visual cylinders rather than letting those flashy components drift away.

Brevity As Virtue: Where Tighter Scripting Would Have Worked Wonders

While episodic limited series have become commonplace in our binge-watching era, Culprits exposes pitfalls of this format struggling to sustain intrigue over expanded runtimes. At a restrained 90 minutes, the core cat-and-mouse premise might have remained taut while avoiding repetitive longueurs. Instead, Culprits attempts more complex character motives and social commentary than its thin dialogue and repetitive plot developments can support.

As the series repeatedly cycles through the same story beats of the killer outwitting our crew, contrivances pile up and conversations grow circular. Characters spout monologues announcing intentions rather than exhibiting believable behavior, while repeating similar-sounding threats and machinations episode to episode. Much like the show’s insistence on overtly spelling out historical eras through clunky on-screen labels, the writing displays an unwillingness to trust the audience’s comprehension.

This expositional hand-holding clashes with half-baked stabs at societal relevance, exemplified best by multiple characters awkwardly preaching anti-capitalist values that contradict actions we’ve witnessed on-screen. Culprits wants the authority of deliberate art films without doing thoughtful aesthetic or thematic legwork needed to earn such weight. Instead, social commentary comes across shallow because the show prefers loudly stating beliefs over skillful implicit storytelling that resonates deeper.

Had Culprits pared itself down to essentials by removing repetitive dialogue and underdeveloped big ideas, the series could have better emulated the propulsive spirit of slick best-in-class examples like Ocean’s Eleven. Keeping characters’ next moves surprising versus telegraphed while subtly cultivating emotional investment through visual language as opposed to clunky speeches might have made for a slam dunk. Unfortunately, Culprits ambitiously swings for the fences both narratively and philosophically when singles and doubles would have sufficed.

Style Without Enough Substance Becomes a Surface-Level Imitation

Culprits clearly exhibits visual panache and early narrative potential before losing steam halfway through its runtime. While bookended by arguably the series’ strongest episodes, too much wheel-spinning in between causes intrigue established early on to slip away. For a show self-consciously framed around a slick facade masking shady intentions, its polished style ultimately outshines an increasingly empty core.

By no means does Culprits completely botch its promising setup – a powerhouse opening and commendable final sting hint at how absorbing this concept could be with fine-tuning. Unfortunately, the sagging midsection’s repetitive chase scenes, absent romantic stakes, and killer who overstays his ghastly welcome drains momentum from themes and relationships founded on shaky ground. And despite a talented lead performance begging for richer material to sink his teeth into, weak dialogue does no favors for a game ensemble.

Of course as a production executing layered stylistic flourishes, this show never fully breaks bad; it just fails building enough underlying substance to equal the sum of its flashy parts. Fans hooked by the first few episodes may forgive more clichéd beats that creep in later as tropes endemic to the genre. But viewers demanding narrative smarts and thematic coherence on par with slick aesthetics may leave wanting. As an imitation of profound artistic depth, Culprits suggests potential for future greatness once lessons are learned about embracing meaningful messiness rather than just superficially gesturing towards complexity. For now though, a derivative execution prevents its style from fully taking convicting criminals.

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