'Interrogation' Review: A cryptic puzzle game is an interesting idea for a crime-thriller but only on paper
A cold-blooded murder, a false arrest and two decades in prison. Will truth set him free? 'Interrogation' tastes like old wine in a new bottle but it does have a distinct flavor. Created by Anders Weidemann and John Mankiewicz, the CBS series follows the true story of an LA murder case that is re-opened twenty years later.
The plot may sound similar to many movies and real-life cases but there's a big twist. Abandoning the linear narrative style, the series has been created in a haphazard manner, where it lets viewers take the investigative hot seat and decide who the real culprit may be.
Eric Fisher (Kyle Gallner), a 17-year-old, is charged with the brutal murder of his mother, Mary Fisher (Joanna Going), in her San Fernando Valley home in 1983. The boy, who called 911, immediately becomes the main suspect — mainly due to his history of drug addiction. After the pilot, episodes two through nine can be viewed in any order before you head to the season finale. The idea seems interesting. Sadly, it doesn't function as designed. The series seems like a dish with too many differently-sized chopped vegetables mixed together.
As the story moves forth, Dave Russell (Peter Sarsgaard) interrogates Eric while Eric’s devastated father, lawyer Henry Fisher (David Strathairn), tries to help his son. The tables turn when twenty years later, Internal Affairs Officer Sgt. Ian Lynch (Vincent D’Onofrio) is handed over Eric’s claim of official misconduct against Russell, now a Lieutenant. As he tries to probe the case, there's suspicion on his old friend from rehab, Chris Keller (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a former girlfriend Kim Decker and neighbor Trey Carano. Through a complicated trail of the events leading up to the murder, the puzzle pieces finally come together to unravel the mystery. But, by then, it is too late.
What could have been a good story turns out to be a dull experience in the end. More than making one curious, it becomes rather too complex and confusing to follow. In fact, its sluggish plot might as well be suitable for passive viewing. The major flaw is in the narration. The episodes look like random scenes shot one-after-another that the editing room forgot to put in order. In all, it lacks the power to hold interest.
Nevertheless, the performances are quite nuanced, especially Gallner, who stands out as an uncontrollable junkie in most scenes. If Joanna puts on a balanced act as the concerned and stern mother, Sarsgaard and D'Onofrio live up to the expectations as rival detectives. If you're really eager to solve a crime like the Famous Five or the Secret Seven, you may as well try your hand at this series that deserves no more than two and a half stars. But here's a word of caution: a cryptic puzzle game is an interesting idea for a crime-thriller but only on paper.