Culprits 2023 Tv Series Review – Disney+

Culprits takes an unconventional route as an eight-episode series rather than a film, inspired by the anthology “Culprits: The Heist Was Only The Beginning.” The series, helmed by The Undoing producer Stephen Garrett and adapted by J Blakeson of I Care A Lot fame, introduces a crew of heist specialists reluctantly reuniting years after a London job went awry. A masked assassin is now tracking them down, reminiscent of Ocean’s 12 dynamics but extended over eight hours. While this approach has its advantages in character exploration, it challenges the typical brevity that often enhances heist narratives.

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett leads the series as David Marking, a family man and aspiring restaurant owner, whose heisting past threatens to disrupt his tranquil life in Washington State. As David navigates his dual identity, the narrative unfolds through multiple timelines, offering both pros and cons to the storytelling.

The series leans into heist genre tropes, featuring a classic “one last job” premise with a misfit crew assigned noir-esque nicknames. Gemma Arterton portrays Brain, the orchestrator of the heist, adding a touch of ice-cold M-style to the character. The plot is characterized by switcheroos and a well-choreographed heist, utilizing the talents of a diverse cast.

Stewart-Jarrett and Arterton deliver compelling performances, with the cast, including standout performances from Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Niamh Algar, contributing to the series’ strength. However, the lack of banter and camaraderie among the characters, typical in heist tales, detracts from their depth.

The masked assassin, known as Devil, falls short in invoking fear or style, contributing to the melodramatic violence that doesn’t align with the series’ dark realism. The series takes itself seriously, missing out on the silliness that often accompanies heist tales.

With a flurry of moving pieces and time jumps between past, present, and future, Culprits disrupts the traditional narrative structure. While this worked in some instances, the lack of stakes for the heist itself and the delayed revelation of the target’s nature pose challenges. The time jumps make it difficult to connect with the entire team, with David being the focal point.

Despite these challenges, Culprits offers an engaging heist series that adheres to the genre’s formula, incorporating time jumps, action sequences, and a strong cast. However, the series may leave some viewers yearning for a more straightforward approach.