Criminal: UK (TV Series) Edgar (2019) User Reviews

Superb !

[Vindelander · 8/10 · 20 September 2019]

Mind games. Excellent psychological warfare in the vein of The Offence (Connery's finest film I think). Short but gripping and Lee Ingleby and Tennant play their roles to perfection.

Watch it and see !

Break the Silence

[serrakiper · 9/10 · 22 September 2019]

It is very tense. David is magnificent as always. Can not decided guilty or innocent.

Wonderful

[maxapritchard · 9/10 · 21 September 2019]

Brilliant performances from David Tennant and Lee Ingleby coupled with the tense, well-written nature of the script and the overall fantastic production design made this a must-watch.

An intense watch.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 23 September 2019]

It's not often I sit down and watch a drama in total silence, with absolute concentration, but that was the scenario with Edgar, the first part of this new series.

A well known and established cast are magnificent in this tense, gripping game of cat and mouse.

I hope this series takes off, and more are made, this first one was outstanding, and David Tennant is incredible. Very well made, slick, without being tacky or showy.

Immense drama.

Reminds me of a class I co taught in grad school. David Tennant was outstanding.

[boudica-of-inceni · 10/10 · 22 September 2019]

I like this series. I used to co teach and was a graduate assistant for a professor while getting my Masters in Criminal Justice and one class she taught and I eventually co taught with her was Comparable Criminal Justice Systems. The US is based on English Common Law except Louisiana which is under French Civil Code so I am always interested in seeing shows that go into CJ systems in other countries and this delivered quite a punch. It also was a bit heartbreaking and fascinating to see David Tennant play such a vile man. He was brilliant and he's so well versed that you do forget for a minute that he's acting. I'm becoming a David Tennant fan very quickly and all I can say is well done. The basic cast members were outstanding as well with DT being a support cast member. There are just those actors/actresses who always make it seem so easy as if it's not a big effort on their part and the cast does that as does David. This is very well done and there is nothing more that I can put into words about any of the performances.

hand that man a freaking oscar

[Shymaa0000 · 10/10 · 20 September 2019]

I waited up last night for David Tennant's episode and watched it the second it became online. AND. IT. WAS. WORTH. IT. the acting is so stuble and contained. Tennant barely speak in the first 25 minutes and doesn't move. he never fidget, taps his feet or display any symptom of being human in distress or otherwise. makes determining his guilt one hell of challenge. the detectives are more animated but still, every move is counted for. I immensely enjoyed rewinding just to watch the micro expressions. please, watch it if you wanna stay glued to the screen for 45 minutes.

It is firmly etch in my memory

[globalisationana · 10/10 · 3 December 2020]

This episode comes back in my dreams, I will never forget it, how well performed and how surprising the end, i had believed the character David Tennant plays was right. He truly is excellent, he shines!

Captivating

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 11 November 2019]

I was totally engrossed here. David Tennant is the recalcitrant doctor who has been accused of killing his step-daughter. Unfortunately, I didn't have any foundation for the principles, so I reacted from a distance. Not a bad thing though. The subtleties of this show are what make it work. I'm disappointed to see there are only two more episodes at this point.

Edgar

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 4 October 2019]

Inspired by a show such as Line of Duty which is known for its extended interrogation scenes.

Criminal:UK features two actors who have appeared in Line of Duty.

The first episode has David Tennant as a Doctor, accused of the brutal murder of his stepdaughter. He has spent many hours under interrogation replying with 'No Comment.'

The detectives interrogating want him to talk as the time is approaching for the suspect either to be charged or released.

Legally I found this to be all over the place. One detective already told the accused that they plan to charge him. Also for serious crimes, the police could apply for an extension of time the accused can be held in custody.

The episode is not all relating to the interrogation of the suspect. We get something about the personal lives of the police personnel involved. So far we know little about these characters apart from they will appear in subsequent episodes interrogating other suspects.

David Tennant gives a good performance as Edgar who stubbornly refuses to crack but something makes him reconsider his approach in the interview room.

I keep coming back to this episode

[kalyanisays · 10/10 · 6 April 2021]

For the first eighteen and a half minutes, this person sitting in front of the investigators keeps a stone cold face and has just one thing to say- yeah, we all know what it is. And, many people I have seen did not like it.

But I feel after many, many watches that he was building his own case around what the investigators were implying he did. He was carefully considering on what to say and what not- and this is what the all seeing boss says too- if there is anybody who can bring him down is himself.

By God, how horrified I was with what had happened with the girl, I started believing Edgar, his story- it all felt so true. And, bam- I never saw that ending coming with plaster. At last, he brought his own doom by talking. I thought, man he should have just stick with 'No comment'.

And honestly, there is something with David Tennant's acting that makes me come back again and again to this episode for many re-watches. He is just peaking, with a wide range of characters he is playing- he is just amazing! I am literally hoping to see him in a lot of mainstream or even in super complex stories. I literally don't mind the negative side because he is doing an amazing job considering he mostly played goofy characters!

This was the first ever Criminal episode I had ever watched and now I cannot just stop watching all the rest.

Good acting but.........

[mqdan · 5/10 · 25 October 2019]

Not very believable but maybe this is what qualifies as "evidence to charge " in the UK legal system. Besides why stonewall for 90%of the interview and then fold like a cheap suit?

I love David Tennant, BUT...

[rebeca-idle · 5/10 · 23 September 2019]

His character's psychological profile doesn't make any sense. He's obviously narcissistic, and I see how that could be his downfall. But i don't see enough of a trigger in the camera trick to make him risk all. He's a doctor, he seems to be at least above average intelligence, he's been sitting there for 23 hours arrogantly replying 'no comment' to all questions, and then falls for that easy taunt? Something doesn't add up. Will re-watch to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Meh

[stephmc30 · 5/10 · 30 September 2019]

Edgar maintains his silence for 23 1/2 hours but starts talking because an investigator points out there's a camera in front of him? That's the best you can do? I like David Tennant but this is a huge waste of time. The details that nail him are interesting but it's not worth sitting through 38 minutes to get to it.

Pays to understand their system is not the US's

[xhidden99 · 5/10 · 24 September 2019]

Basically all these episodes are little more than wearing the suspect down. There's no tension here it's the opposite of tension it's fatigue and boredom what does them in

Amazingly boring

[junk-mail-me-here · 2/10 · 9 May 2021]

Is this what passes for a police drama in the UK? I didn't think it was possible for David Tennant to be this boring. They might have well just filmed him watching paint dry. Seriously terrible. The British make some great TV, mostly comedy and scifi, but now I see why I've never before seen a British crime drama. Because they aren't worth exporting.

If you'd like to see a similar example which is well written, tense and has great acting check out the movie From The Hip. The movie starts out humorous, but the second part with John Hurt in a similar role as Tennant plays in this one is amazingly well done. THAT was tense and incredibly well done, THIS was a snooze fest.

Is this how things are done in the UK? Police badger and wear down a suspect during a 24 hour interrogation? That's not civil, that's abusive and coercive.

absolutely boring and terrible

[yoitsfears · 5/10 · 25 April 2022]

How do u have a show centered on making a criminal talk in a certain amount of time with boring ass writing and characters. Actors were plain and uninteresting and so was the plotline. Why would the criminal talk at all? Don't bother watching.