Gemma Nettle
The pinnacle of miscommunication that will make you unwittingly cringe at your TV, Inside Man knows how to stir up that knee-jerk reaction in audiences that will cause you to shrink back in horror.
A vicar finds himself in an impossible situation as he traps a woman under his vicarage in England, while a prisoner on death row in the US works to solve the case. Their paths cross in a simply unbelievable way – one that both viewers and even the characters themselves don’t seem to completely buy into.
“most skittish few minutes of television”
Following a desperate man in a desperate situation, the plot jumps from one peculiar choice to the next…and the next, and the next. The BBC mini-series gets off to a fierce start when child porn is discovered on a rogue memory stick, mistakenly linked to Reverend Harry Watling’s son. David Tennant’s Harry is faced with a difficult situation – protect his son or conserve a troubled parishioner’s identity.
What ensues is the most skittish few minutes of television one would expect from a vicar trying to stop a tutor from leaving his house. Dolly Wells, who plays Janice, ends up in the cellar despite her best efforts to escape, not long after the vicar breaks her phone and causes her to hit her head – both of which he profusely apologises for, addressing how “silly” the situation is.
Outlandish
Harry’s story only rockets in its outlandishness from there. The argument can be made that his wife, Mary, is even more of an unconventional character than he is, making ridiculous choices throughout. Lyndsey Marshal does what she can with the material but the character finally departs any semblance of reality when she wields a bread knife, making sound effects as she slashes it through the air. Not only this but her attitude is often strangely detached as she plainly states there is no advice on Google on how to kill another human being.
“stumbles into the realm of tonally ignorant”
Admittedly, some of the more grounded moments come from the quiet pauses between Harry and Mary. They will frequently step back from the action and laugh at the situation they’ve found themselves in, which could come across as clever in writing but actually just stumbles into the realm of tonally ignorant and takes you out of the drama.
All the while, Janice is wasting away in the cellar. Wells is fantastic as the bright tutor, who makes it clear she will not make things easy for the couple. Her soft tone with Harry’s son Ben, played by Louis Oliver, in sharp contrast with her ferocious resonance with the reverend is powerful.
Sherlock Holmes-esque
“why am I starting to like this murderer?”
While Harry is struggling to come to terms with potential murder, Stanley Tucci’s Sherlock– I mean, Jefferson Grieff – is locked away in a prison for murdering his wife. His character is very much a Sherlock Holmes-type though, which is fitting since the series was written by Sherlock’s Steven Moffatt. Grieff solves murders and mysteries from his cell on death row while seeking atonement for his crimes. Tucci is steely in his characterisation, leaving one to ask the question: “why am I starting to like this murderer?”
Tucci mirrors Tennant well, being a murderer looking to do right while the morally good vicar strays from the path and commits sin. Although, it’s a crime in itself we never truly get to see these two actors play off each other on-screen properly. Both are exceptional as always, seemingly working their own quirks and charms into their given roles. Tennant is able to play to the angelic profile of a vicar but has the edge needed to turn the character in a demonic direction. And Tucci knows how to intimidate his audience while still maintaining his softer, more pleasant disposition.
“I’m the f*cking vicar!”
Grieff is studied by crime journalist Beth, portrayed by the brilliant Lydia West. Her role in the story is seemingly to be Grieff’s footman, repeatedly scuttling between England and the US (in this cost of living crisis?) to follow clues for him. Of course, she then serves to finally connect our two main characters in a way audiences might not have expected.
Barely anchored in reality, this thriller spirals out of control faster than Harry does as he loudly proclaims: “I’m the f*cking vicar!”
The full mini-series is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Featured image courtesy of Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Gemma Nettle
Gemma is one of our entertainment editors. She also works full-time as a reporter. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @gemmanettle.