Acorn TV had only 2 episodes and it did not seem like the story was finished. I've heard of 'mini-series' but this is extremely mini! Matthew Goode was excellent from what I saw in 2 shows. Disappointed there wasn't more.
9 Reviews
Beautiful and haunting adaptation of the best selling novel by Erin Kelly.
cgvsluis15 March 2023
This was a wonderful adaptation of the novel The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly. Wonderful backdrop and phenomenal acting by Matthew Goode, MyAnna Buring and Ophelia Lovibond really make this miniseries worth seeing. The story is pretty dark with a bit of a twist at the end. It attempts to answer the question of what lengths one would go to in order to protect their loved ones.
The story starts with Karen and her daughter Alice picking up their husband and father Rex from jail upon his release. He has served the last ten years for a double murder. Through a series of flashbacks we get to see the reality of events leading up to the crime and the crime itself, meanwhile in the present Rex's old cell mate is attempting to blackmail Karen and their is a mystery caller/stalker that is also wrecking havoc with their reunion and lives.
Ophelia Lovibond plays a wonderful narcissistic sycophant who leaves destruction in her wake. She might be fun for a minute at a party....but you should stay far, far away from her.
Short, but haunting I think this is worth seeing tv and a lot better than some of the sitcoms being offered in the US.
The story starts with Karen and her daughter Alice picking up their husband and father Rex from jail upon his release. He has served the last ten years for a double murder. Through a series of flashbacks we get to see the reality of events leading up to the crime and the crime itself, meanwhile in the present Rex's old cell mate is attempting to blackmail Karen and their is a mystery caller/stalker that is also wrecking havoc with their reunion and lives.
Ophelia Lovibond plays a wonderful narcissistic sycophant who leaves destruction in her wake. She might be fun for a minute at a party....but you should stay far, far away from her.
Short, but haunting I think this is worth seeing tv and a lot better than some of the sitcoms being offered in the US.
wrong mystery
SnoopyStyle22 November 2020
Karen Clarke (MyAnna Buring) and her daughter Alice go to welcome her husband Rex Clarke (Matthew Goode) coming out of prison after 12 years. In flashbacks, Karen is introduced to Rex by his volatile party girl sister Biba Capel (Ophelia Lovibond). The siblings are estranged from their famous father who is throwing them out of their home.
Basically, this is a long wait for the reason of his incarceration. It's a tease of something that is less than compelling. It's not a big mystery even. It's a slow inevitable reveal. The structure really defeats its intensity. The blackmail bit is the only true tension but it's not that elevated. Somewhere, somehow, this needs to find more tension. It does get to an interesting reveal that isn't even on the radar. That's the problem with this story. It's structured incorrectly to concentrate on the wrong mystery.
Basically, this is a long wait for the reason of his incarceration. It's a tease of something that is less than compelling. It's not a big mystery even. It's a slow inevitable reveal. The structure really defeats its intensity. The blackmail bit is the only true tension but it's not that elevated. Somewhere, somehow, this needs to find more tension. It does get to an interesting reveal that isn't even on the radar. That's the problem with this story. It's structured incorrectly to concentrate on the wrong mystery.
A waste of my time
huwlansdown2 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
To start with I liked the fact that there was so much mystery, so much we didn't know that needed to be explained... but it turned out it was just the manipulative leading woman deceiving everyone close to her about about everything important in their lives, including lying to her charming daughter about who her real parents were and the fact that the man she thought was her father was a double murderer.
I hung on to the end, looking forward to her getting her just deserts only to see her end up with everything she wanted... great! Two hours wasted watching an evil, deceitful murderer get everything she wanted in life. Presumably we should all go out and follow her example?
I hung on to the end, looking forward to her getting her just deserts only to see her end up with everything she wanted... great! Two hours wasted watching an evil, deceitful murderer get everything she wanted in life. Presumably we should all go out and follow her example?
What a rip off
wisewebwoman7 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This was so cliche ridden it should have had warning stickers. An awful lot of time wasted for such a contrived ending. And she got away with all the terrible lies. Do writers never realize how absolutely false the denouement scenes are?
As in mysterious phone calls/meetings/house visits etc are secretly arranged when the evil doer could barge right in and reveal all in five minutes? But no they have to threaten to announce their dirty deeds way ahead of time.
Pshaw.
As in mysterious phone calls/meetings/house visits etc are secretly arranged when the evil doer could barge right in and reveal all in five minutes? But no they have to threaten to announce their dirty deeds way ahead of time.
Pshaw.
Mediocre and rather boring.
lisaalders-743-39080912 July 2019
Dark but not gross
zdarov20 June 2019
Not a deep review here... I like dark and psychological, and am turned off by gory, perverse, etc. This was compelling without being overboard. Not a happy story to be sure! But interesting. There's one choice the protagonist made that I would not have, but besides that it was a good ride. I agree with the others that the acting was terrific.
Computer Says "LIAR"
jmg3822 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
To borrow from the 'Computer says NO' sketch on "Little Britain", it is apt that the lead character's computer has the message "LIAR" during one of the many attempts at a tension-filled scene in this thin miniseries. The effort to lay the foundation for future plot twists, all based on lies that are told by all the characters, is so transparent that they soon give away all the twists before they are revealed.
That is, everyone but Alice is shown to be lying, and she is the only innocent victim in the entire series. These spoilers only ruin the first part of the first episode, as you, too, will figure everything out in short order, including the fact that no one but Alice is truly a protagonist in this 90 minutes of lies.
Max lied about cheating on his wife, resulting in her suicide. Lenny and Karen lied about the final eviction notice, then Lenny lied about having negotiated a solution to the eviction. Rex, Biba and Karen lied that it was he, not Biba, who killed Max and Lenny, Karen lies (by omission) to Rex, and later to Alice, saying that Alice is "their" baby. Rex and Karen lie to Alice (a lie that Karen refuses to allow Rex to put straight) about what the charges were that sent him to prison.
All these lies, and It takes nothing to then deduce that Biba is not really dead, and therefore must be the mysterious person threatening Karen throughout the miniseries.
Three people already dead, so why not have Karen the serial-liar, already as unsympathetic as the other liars, murder Biba and reap the rewards of everyone's lying and killing?
That is, everyone but Alice is shown to be lying, and she is the only innocent victim in the entire series. These spoilers only ruin the first part of the first episode, as you, too, will figure everything out in short order, including the fact that no one but Alice is truly a protagonist in this 90 minutes of lies.
Max lied about cheating on his wife, resulting in her suicide. Lenny and Karen lied about the final eviction notice, then Lenny lied about having negotiated a solution to the eviction. Rex, Biba and Karen lied that it was he, not Biba, who killed Max and Lenny, Karen lies (by omission) to Rex, and later to Alice, saying that Alice is "their" baby. Rex and Karen lie to Alice (a lie that Karen refuses to allow Rex to put straight) about what the charges were that sent him to prison.
All these lies, and It takes nothing to then deduce that Biba is not really dead, and therefore must be the mysterious person threatening Karen throughout the miniseries.
Three people already dead, so why not have Karen the serial-liar, already as unsympathetic as the other liars, murder Biba and reap the rewards of everyone's lying and killing?
Haunting mini series.
altonpeter29 May 2017
A complex story certainly. The twists and turns take you across decades with much of the story told in flashback. I found this adaptation to be extremely atmospheric and well acted.
In summary, the quality of the production is high, and the story will hold your interest. The acting is first-rate.
The journey to the story's resolution is satisfying even if the resolution itself is not completely so.
In summary, the quality of the production is high, and the story will hold your interest. The acting is first-rate.
The journey to the story's resolution is satisfying even if the resolution itself is not completely so.
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