Towards Zero

I love a good Agatha Christie mystery. Years ago when young I reread the books over and over. I was excited about this adaptation, willing to give it a try because I like Angelica Huston and Mathew Rhys. Unfortunately this version had to muck with a really good Agatha Christie "who-dun-it" mystery. This version has changed characters, omitted some characters, overcomplicated their motivations for murder and switched who got murdered first, changing the plot line which dulls the mystery. Even the detective is swapped from Inspector Battle to Leach which is ironic because the name switch symbolises how the story has been dulled down from dramatic to boring. Leach is drowning in alcoholism and is suicidal which makes him overly dark and not compelling to watch. Angelica Huston is too passive, not dominating or caustic enough to murder, only rich. It's dark, not the plot, but rather the filtering chosen for filming is dark & grimy in a weak ploy to create mystery. It's simply annoying as the character's faces are difficult to see in the dark. Dialogue & plot should create the mystery rather than cinematic filters. Sex scenes are used also to create drama which is another by-product of a weak plot line. Christie employed flirtatious characters, but true to her era didn't use overt sex to tell a story, instead Christie always produced a good plot line with witty dialogue. Worst of all, the story is very slow. Christie skilfully wrote Towards Zero with a delayed murder, but this version can't pull that off and when they change the order of the murder plot lines, it jumbles the mystery right out of the story. The few positives are that the setting & costumes are period-rich with details that make the show nice to view.. But even this is dulled by the overused dark filters chosen for this version. Unfortunately setting & costumes can't trump the importance of plot & dialogue for drama. With weak story telling, this version isn't worthy of Dame Agatha Christie. Her descendants promote this film, as it's a money-making legacy for the corporation Christie has become, but I think Agatha the writer would be disappointed.

Extremely poorly scripted. Dialoges are actually a pain to listen to. An orgy of commonplaces. Acting is uneven at best.

I wouldn't mind if the story is a reinterpretation of Christie's original (not all of her works are equally great anyway) but this one is just a mess. Everything feels artificial. Emotional outbreaks

The only good thing about it is the occasional jazz songs. (Not enough though to balance out the many shortcomings.) Other than that only the costumes do even give a try to set the 1930's vibe. (Not a very strong one, but a try anyway.) Everything else is just painfully out-of-time and out-of-place.

Enjoyable tosh I'd say. Love seeing the mega-rich come unstuck. Love Agatha Christie too so this was a must-see. Looks great, lovely photography.

Reviewer kristhebass mentions the Black barrister played by the excellent Clarke Peters, as if this was an anachronism. This reviewer may be interested to know (but probably won't want to know) that the first Black barrister to practice in the UK was in 1884. No, Agatha Christie probably didn't mention any character's ethnic background so basically anyone could be cast. It's not as if it's 'unhistorical' in this instance. Oh and I think the 'maid' is more of a lady's companion, as she quite clearly states in the first episode.

First the good news: wardrobe and locations are exquisite. The actors are very good, especially Anjelica Huston as the matriarch of a despicable family. Now for the bad stuff: why oh why add absolutely unnecessary characters into one of the finest plots Agatha Christie ever wrote. The dialogues are stilted and absolutely boring. The language, contrary to the setting, is much too modern and sometimes very crude. For the life of me, I don't understand the importance of a cunnilingus scene on the stairs. It just makes no sense. And last, but not least: it's way too long. The whole story could've been told in 90 minutes, it's much too thin for three hours.

Why do the writers always take a perfectly crafted plot from the queen of suspense and trample it to death?

The visual aesthetic of the series is a major letdown. The overly dark and blueish tint gives it a dated, early-2010s look that feels more like a tired crime drama than a timeless Agatha Christie mystery. The muted color palette and lack of visual creativity make the entire production feel bland and uninspired.

The pacing is another significant issue. The combination of an overtly slow and melodramatic score and hollow conversations drag the story unnecessarily. The result is a miniseries that feels much longer than it actually is.

Finally, the characters, while seemingly layered, quickly become tiresome. Each one is burdened with a troubled past or some nuanced background, but these elements feel overused and repetitive, and lacking authenticity. Instead of adding depth, the constant focus on their personal struggles makes the characters feel like clichés. By the time the mystery reaches its conclusion, it's hard to care about who did what or why.

For me this miniseries is a waste of three hours that I want back.