'The Capture' Review: Gritty story and unpredictable twists make deepfake series worth a shot despite flaws
Spoilers for 'The Capture'
Peacock is the latest streaming service on the block and as part of its series, the NBCUniversal's service has borrowed an English crime thriller, 'The Capture', as part of its debut. The series, which debuted on BBC One, garnered critical acclaim for its provocative and intriguing storytelling. The series, now part of Peacock, shows how keen the streamer is to add intellectual and niche shows as part of its roster.
'The Capture' is all about one reportedly committed crime and then another until it looks at a third entity that actually connects these two crimes. Callum Turner's Shaun Emery is a war veteran with a career of serving as a lance corporal in the British armed forces. He is acquitted of the murder of a war prisoner. He is caught on camera where he assaults his lawyer, Hannah Roberts (Laura Haddock).
While Emery rolls out his argument stating it wasn't reality, DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger), who investigates the case, comes across a startling conspiracy that involves the creation of "deepfake" videos of crimes that in fact never happened. The fact that this thriller is compressed into an affair with some audacious thrills makes it come perilously close to 'Bodyguard'. The innate ability to induce chills makes 'The Capture' a must-watch piece of content.
At times, the show successfully manages to get the audience to question themselves about the parts of the show where it's quite hard to distinguish between fake and real. The writer Ben Chanan keeps the series tone pretty much dark and brisk while also giving multiple layers to the characters. It's hard to not believe Turner as his Emery, despite the accusations still force the viewers to take his side. He is believable and convincing.
That isn't to say that 'The Capture' is without flaws. Personally, it is easy to liken the series to 'Enemy of the State, or 'Big Brother', which are two of the best surveillance flicks ever made. Essentially, the series by itself isn't a novelty, but it makes up for an already explored theme with some sharp writing and unpredictable twists. As far as the way the story is paced, especially the investigation on Emery, which gives us an idea about his sober lifestyle, his meticulous approach to things, and the relationships between characters, it's safe to say there are a few potholes, but they could be ignored.
The cast plays its role to perfection. Familiar English faces in Ralph Ineson, Ron Perlman, Cavan Clerkin, and Benny Miles play their part to perfection richly complementing Turner, Haddock, and Grainger. And for all this, the audience will still want to now where Roberts is and her fate— Dead? Alive? Whether Emery is framed. It's like the pieces of the puzzle need to fit yet. There's some well-built tension
'The Capture' premieres July 15 on Peacock.
