REVIEW: Martin Clunes is on the case in Acorn’s ‘Manhunt’
Photo: Martin Clunes stars in the Acorn TV miniseries Manhunt. Photo courtesy of Acorn TV / Provided by press site with permission.
Martin Clunes, the British actor known for Doc Martin, offers an understated, but wholly effective portrayal of a new senior investigation officer (SIO) in the Acorn TV original series Manhunt, now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Manhunt is a quick, three-episode miniseries based on a real-life murder that took place in the Twickenham suburb of London. Clunes’ character of Colin Sutton has been selected to serve as the SIO, and he quickly takes charge with his kind, yet firm way of dealing with colleagues and clues.
The young woman who was killed was out having a meal with friends and then took a stroll through a nearby green (park). This is where the murder took place, and it’s up to Sutton and company to piece together the evidence. Admittedly, at first glance, there are few clues, so Sutton needs to rely on his intuition and good old police work to figure out what happened.
The effectiveness of Manhunt comes largely from Clunes’ portrayal, but it’s also the writing team who completely flesh out Sutton as a compelling character. In addition to his new leadership around the investigation room, he also has quieter scenes with his wife, and they talk about their pending move from one house to another. He calls his daughter on the phone to check in, especially given the gravity of what happened to the victim he’s investigating. He shows patience and cordiality when dealing with the victim’s parents, who fly in from France. This is a 360-degree character portrait, and it grounds the series in reality and sentiment.
Acorn, which presents a lot of British television on DVD, Blu-ray and their own streaming service, has started to offer engaging content from their in-house production team, and Manhunt no doubt is a stellar addition to the library. Then again, isn’t everything with Clunes stellar?
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Manhunt. Now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Acorn. Starring Martin Clunes. Three episodes. Approximately 145 minutes. Bonus feature: interviews with Clunes and producer Philippa Braithwaite. Click here for more information. Rating: 
Manhunt was great. It is due to the combination of the police officer depicted, the writing, and the acting. I wish America would flee from the idea that its actors and actresses need to be drop dead gorgeous. True talent may lie elsewhere and the faces and body types should reflect those of the average people. Glad to hear they are considering covering another case this police officer worked on.
I couldn’t agree more! American TV is populated with poor stories and “Barbie &Ken” type actors. Sad