Criminal Justice

This is probably the best crime show I've ever watched on television and that's saying a lot because I love them. The acting is phenomenal and the story is totally engaging. I have high hopes for Season 2.

Season 1 and 2 excellent. Loved the raw characters and situations. Don't get this stuff done like this nowadays

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR THE FIRST SEASON ONLY:

Phenomenal. Ask me one word to describe this mini-series, and I'll answer you that. Then I'll urge you to go watch it.

Why?

Well, for starters, this show is gripping in a very subtle way with its slow-pace and it's gets increasingly hard as it goes on not to be on the edge of your seat, anxious and with a bitter taste all over your mouth(read: impossible). I ended up kind of binge-watching this in one day and, let me tell you, I've been not a trifle disappointed with the final chapter and the way things end up unwinding. Matter of fact, I'm convinced the last episode was the best in terms of tension and build-up, something quite rare in today's series where lacking scripts fit for maybe two hours are stretched into six- and then some. This was not the case at all.

Last but not (at all!) least, the acting: Ben Whishaw is a gem, and a horribly underrated one at that. His restless eyes, along with his general face expressions, are what makes the character so enthralling and real throughout. Not that the words have no weight, mind: they, do of course, and the script is not faulty or vague. This guy, however, have eyes that speak volumes and the versatility with which I've seen him use them in here, as well as in another works, is truly praiseworthy. In general, every actor did a hell of a great job with the exception of, perhaps, Ben Coulter's mother who I couldn't help but feel was always stiff and even a bit robot-like in a way that didn't seemed all that natural. But maybe that's just me!

Anyway, the bottom line is this makes a real enjoyable watch, if a bit bittersweet for the questions it invariably raises in us. I highly recommend this show to everyone who's into this particular genre, its high quality makes it clearly stand out from all the poorly-thought out 'dramas' we get nowadays. Congrats to the BBC on this one!

A bit too long and drawn out. There was more silence than there was talking. The acting was good but most of the time I found I'd get annoyed at the main character which I don't think was supposed to happen.

Before HBO reimagined it as The Night Of, the story first played out in the BBC's Criminal Justice (2008) - a taut, five-part drama that set the template. Starring a young Ben Whishaw as Ben Coulter, it begins with a one-night encounter that spirals into murder, accusation, and a brutal descent through the UK's legal system.

Whishaw is outstanding: fragile, frightened, and quietly magnetic. His Ben is no hardened criminal, but an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary nightmare. As the case builds against him, we see how quickly the machinery of justice turns, and how easily someone can be crushed beneath it.

The supporting cast - including Pete Postlethwaite as Ben's lawyer, Julian, and Bill Paterson as the judge - bring weight and credibility to every scene.

What distinguishes Criminal Justice is its claustrophobic focus. At just five episodes, it moves briskly but never shallowly, showing both the cold efficiency of police procedure and the dehumanising churn of prison life. There's less social sprawl than HBO's version, but in exchange you get sharper procedural detail and a raw, almost stage-like intensity.

It may lack the American remake's broader commentary, but as a tight, unsettling character study, it's first-class. A clever, chilling 8/10.