Messiah: The Harrowing (2005) (TV)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Paul Unwin

Writers:

Terry Cafolla (written by) and
Boris Starling (creator)

Release Date:

28 August 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A woman stung to death by bees, two women hooked together like meat, a man starved to death in chains...

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ken Stott	...	DCI Red Metcalfe
Neil Dudgeon	...	DI Duncan Warren
Helen McCrory	...	Dr. Rachel Price
Maxine Peake	...	DS Vickie Clarke
Hugo Speer	...	DI Jack Price
Harriet Walter	...	Professor Robb
Adam Kotz	...	Richard Eccleshall
Beatie Edney	...	Grace Eccleshall
Margot Leicester	...	Evelyn McArdle
Eamon Boland	...	Henry McArdle
Bill Thomas	...	Harry Fullerton
Guy Flanagan	...	Tim Evans
Gil Brailey	...	Coroner
Mat Ruttle	...	Daniel Price
Alice Bird	...	Isabel Price

Also Known As:

Messiah 4: The Harrowing (Australia)

Runtime:

180 min (3 parts)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:18 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

BBC Northern Ireland

Quotes:

DS Vickie Clarke: A man said he saw a woman in a red coat hurrying away from the flat. His description of the woman was "she was angry".
DI Duncan Warren: Well that's got to narrow it down. An angry woman

Movie Connections:

Follows Messiah (2001) (TV)

Haven't I seen you somewhere before?

I have been a fan of the Messiah series since its beginning way back. The first story was a masterclass in the crime genre being influenced by some of the great cinematic thrillers (namely Se7en). The next two were somewhat of a disappointment (although never being THAT bad) as they never quite reached the dizzy heights of the first Messiah. And now we get to Messiah IV: The Harrowing.

This is a return to form for Red and his team. Gone are the sub plots concerning his wife or the rest of the squad (although one of his squad are linked to one of the deaths that kicks off the story). This allows for a tighter story that keeps the Police/Killer relationship central to the narrative.

Without going into detail the killer in this instance is offing people in the manner that sinners are punished in Dante's Inferno. This literary reference lifts this thriller into something out of the ordinary.

Cracking acting from all (especially Ken Stott whom I hope continues to make these ad infinitum) and some great directing ensures an excellent 3 hours worth of television.

My only problem is with the writer who seems to have shamelessly ripped off Matthew Pearl's superb novel 'The Dante Club'. If this is not the case then I would like to be proved wrong.

Above all: a return to form for my favourite BBC drama.