The twisting, real-life story of Charles Sobhraj, a murderer, thief and seductive master of disguise, who was a hidden darkness in the mid-70's on Asia's hippie trail.The twisting, real-life story of Charles Sobhraj, a murderer, thief and seductive master of disguise, who was a hidden darkness in the mid-70's on Asia's hippie trail.The twisting, real-life story of Charles Sobhraj, a murderer, thief and seductive master of disguise, who was a hidden darkness in the mid-70's on Asia's hippie trail.
- Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
- 13 nominations total
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I liked the suspense of the show, and the real story is pretty fascinating, but as others have pointed out, the time line jumps around too much and Rahim's acting is flat for playing someone who was supposed to have been charismatic. It also cracks me up that so many people on here complain about Brits playing Dutch and French Canadians but no one seems to care that the real-life Sobhraj is Asian (Vietnamese and Sindhi), and Rahim clearly is not. I found it irritating that the show's characters constantly make reference to him being or appearing Asian but Rahim doesn't look Asian at all (because he isn't). I guess he gets a pass because he's a native French speaker? Come on! You can't tell me there aren't French-speaking Asian actors out there.
This is well done and well acted. A grade A production. Its only flaw is the bouncing timeline. It is hard enough to pay attention with subtitles, let alone with the timeline going back and forth. Entertaining but NOT a relaxing watch. I'd advise you to learn French or take up speed reading because during fast exchanges of dialogue, those subtitles fly by fast.
Half a point off for the bad wigs.
Half a point off for the bad wigs.
This is a very energetic, fast paced drama. Visually it looks so good, the production values are excellent. A particularly good cast, once again I'm impressed with Jenna Coleman. It's one of those dramas that you need to concentrate hard on, as it is a little deep, and could be seen as confusing. After being starved of drama for obvious reasons, it was nice to start 2021 with something this good. You couldn't switch the BBC on without seeing a trailer for it, they certainly went to town to advertise it. Hard to fault. 8/10.
Superb acting from the leads. Phenomenal costume and set design, and a great score.
You're skin crawls from the sheer creepiness of Charles Sohbraj the pure Sociopath.
This is a tense and gripping drama and the time hopping device is used to great effect as it underlines a cat and mouse came that spans across 5 or 6 countries over 20 years plus. Other reviewers said this instilled confusion and detracted from the plot... but it doesn't.... It enhances it as it keeps things flowing and on edge.
If you enjoy simple mindless and linear storytelling... watch Cobra Kai (which is still great).
This was a quality series that grips from beginning to end.
You're skin crawls from the sheer creepiness of Charles Sohbraj the pure Sociopath.
This is a tense and gripping drama and the time hopping device is used to great effect as it underlines a cat and mouse came that spans across 5 or 6 countries over 20 years plus. Other reviewers said this instilled confusion and detracted from the plot... but it doesn't.... It enhances it as it keeps things flowing and on edge.
If you enjoy simple mindless and linear storytelling... watch Cobra Kai (which is still great).
This was a quality series that grips from beginning to end.
Thrilling show. Really gets me in the feeling of the 70's.
Only disappointing thing is 'knippenberg' speaking Dutch. Why not choose a Dutch actor for this role, or just skip the speaking bad Dutch part.
Only disappointing thing is 'knippenberg' speaking Dutch. Why not choose a Dutch actor for this role, or just skip the speaking bad Dutch part.
Did you know
- TriviaBased on a true story, Charles Sobhraj was dubbed 'The Serpent' due to his conniving ways and constant escape from reprimand. He was also nicknamed the 'Bikini Killer' due to the clothing worn by his victims.
- GoofsAll the dialogues between William Brand (Ambassador van Dongen) and Billy Howle (Herman Knippenberg) are in genuine and comprehensible Dutch, though their pronunciation and intonation make it evident they don't really master the language.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Jeremy Vine: Episode #4.10 (2021)
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- The Serpent
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