REVIEW: Acorn’s ‘Bloodlands’ stars always-dependable James Nesbitt
Photo: James Nesbitt stars in the Northern Ireland crime drama Bloodlands. Photo courtesy of Acorn TV / Provided with permission.
Bloodlands is a taught, high-energy thriller from Acorn TV. The four-part limited series, starring an always-dependable James Nesbitt, follows a criminal investigation that eventually intertwines with local law enforcement and the Troubles that plagued Ireland and Northern Ireland for many years.
Nesbitt plays Tom Brannick, a veteran detective, who works tirelessly with his partner, Niamh McGovern, played by Charlene McKenna, to try and connect the dots on a vehicle that turns up submerged in the local harbor. The car belongs to a local man with a checkered past, and the two detectives need to figure out whether they are working on a kidnapping case or a murder case.
The boss is Jackie Twomey, played by Lorcan Cranitch, who stays on top of Brannick and McGovern, asking for updates and trying to see where the investigation might lead. Quite quickly, without giving too much away, the team members realize they are searching for a well-known suspect infamously known as Goliath, a police insider who killed a group of people two decades earlier and apparently is back for more vengeance.
Providing quality supporting work are Lisa Dwan as a local doctor and Lola Petticrew as Brannick’s daughter. These two actors join with the rest of the ensemble and make the high drama of Bloodlands believable and pulsating. These 230 minutes fly by because the audience wants to know what’s going to happen next and how series creator Chris Brandon will tie up the many loose ends. It’s a thrill to watch this team of actors work their way through the convoluted plot and find some answers.
Nesbitt as a performer is one of the best the world has. He can do funny. He can do stern. He can do mysterious. He seems to pop up in so many movies and TV shows that his presence can be taken for granted, but in Bloodlands, that’s not the case. He owns the part of Tom Brannick, enlivening the role with intensity and a perpetually furrowed brow. The role is an obsessive type, and Nesbitt knows how to bring the right level of concern, sadness, daring and danger to the part.
The story is quality as well, and that’s thanks to Brandon, who has crafted an intricate plot that points the finger at several people over the course of four episodes. At times, especially in the third and final segments, the details can become difficult to follow. Sometimes when names are spouted out over and over again, it can be trying to figure out who everyone is talking about. But generally speaking, the story is a fascinating one with wrong turns, red herrings and characters who turn out to be quite suspicious, dear Watson.
For a winter binge session, Bloodlands is a winner. Nesbitt is in fine form, as he normally is, and the ensemble members who surround his commanding performance meet him word for word, furrowed brow for furrowed brow. This is entertaining, gripping television, yet another solid entry for the Acorn Originals line of programming.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Bloodlands. Written and created by Chris Brandon. Starring James Nesbitt, Lorcan Cranitch, Lisa Swan, Ian McElhinney, Charlene McKenna, Lola Petticrew and Susan Lynch. Running time: 230 minutes across 4 episodes. Now available on DVD from Acorn TV. Click here for more information.
