What makes a good whodunit? Is it a brilliant story with enough twists to light up a ’60s ballroom? Is it the cast full of familiar faces playing even more familiar tropes? Is it the setting, a stately, secluded manor where every corner hides a new secret? Or is it something else entirely, an elusiveje ne sais quoithat brings it all together? Whatever it is,the new adaptation ofAgatha Christie’sTowards Zerodoesn’t quite have it.
The BBC’s latest miniseries, currently set to premiere on BritBox, is lush, beautifully staged, and perfectly acted, but it all amounts to a mere sigh, more a “nice to have it” than a “drop everything and watch now.” But you should watch it, if only because, at a mere three one-hour episodes, it’s the perfect length to entertain, if not necessarily satisfy. Mystery is a hard genre to pull off, and hats off to anyone bold enough to attempt it, especially when it comes to adapting Agatha Christie, arguably the genre’s supreme storyteller. And yet,it’s hard not towish thatTowards Zerowas more than the sum of its parts.
What Is ‘Towards Zero’ About?
Towards Zeroisan adaptation of Agatha Christie’s eponymous novelcentered around renowned tennis superstar Neville Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), whose adulterous affair with temptress Kay Elliott (Mimi Keene) results in his divorce from longtime wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland). Following a highly publicized trial and Neville and Kay’s quick marriage,the couple and Audrey find themselves on a bizarre holiday at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of his aunt, Camilla, Lady Tresselian (Anjelica Huston).
Becausethis is a work by Agatha Christie, a collection of intriguing characters joins them, too. There’s Mary Aldin (Anjana Vasan), Lady Tresselian’s companion, who has been secretly corresponding with Thomas Royde (Jack Farthing), the lady’s disgraced nephew. Neville brings his mysterious valet (Adam Hugill), whose shoulder carries a chip so big it’s surprising it doesn’t outright crush him. Camilla’s longtime lawyer, Mr. Treves (Clarke Peters), and his kleptomaniac, orphaned ward Sylvia (Grace Doherty), are also in attendance, as is Louis Morel (Khalil Ben Gharbia), a procurer of “fun” working at the hotel across the bay from Gull’s Point. Finally,a whodunit wouldn’t be complete without a detective, andTowards Zerohas Inspector Leach,played by Emmy-winnerMatthew Rhys.
Logically, there is a murder (looking at this cast, you may probably guess who) followed by an investigation. Unlike most whodunits,Towards Zerospends half of its three episodes establishing the background, with the latter half focusing on the murder itself. Here lies the main problem with this adaptation, as the first episode is simply not interesting or compelling enough to trap our attention. It commits the cardinal sin of the whodunit: it’s simply uninteresting. The approach is admirable — the show’s entire premise is that the origin point of the murder, the “point zero,” is just as important as the murder itself, if not more. Yet, the main appeal of the whodunit is to watch the investigation, the struggle to answer the “why.” In its attempt to explore the “point zero,“Towards Zerobecomesmore of a soapy romantic drama than a thrilling mystery.
‘Towards Zero’ Suffers From Its Transition to a Miniseries Format
Once the actual murder occurs and the investigation gets underway,Towards Zerois as engaging as you’d expect it to be. Yet, it’s largely because of the cast (more on that later), sincethe story itself is largely deprived of any real pathos. On the page, Agatha Christie’s stories always have a way of standing out, thanks to the renowned author’s sharp pen, which could lay out a narrative like nobody’s business. Yet, the changes made from the page to the small screen vary from puzzling to arguably unnecessary, changing characters' motivations andturning minor plot details into overly long narrative threadsto introduce further complexity into a story that can’t quite support them.
Perhaps the biggest change isthe omission of Superintendent Battle, one of Christie’s recurring detectives, replaced here by Rhys' Inspector Leach. Battle may not be as iconic asChristie’s most well-known creations, Miss Marpleand Hercule Poirot, but he is an important part of her gallery of heroes. Thus, to see him gone from one of his most prominent stories will undoubtedly be bittersweet for Christie’s aficionados.
Towards Zeroalsoloses some of its impact on its way to the small screen. The story’s basics remain, but it’s sorely lacking Christie’s wit, which more than made up for the plot’s creative liberties. The murderer is painfully predictable on both the page and the screen, but whereas Christie’s finesse makes the former worth a read, the latter succumbs to television clichés and never quite rises above them.
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The Cast Is ‘Towards Zero’s Strongest Asset
As it often happens with whodunit,the best thingTowards Zerohas going for it is the stellar cast it has assembled. Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston is a delight to see, effortlessly commanding the screen with an impetuous performance that echoes the lateMaggie Smith’s Emmy-winning turn inDownton Abbey. Both Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Ella Lily Hyland are well-cast and share considerable chemistry, selling the Stranges’ complicated dynamic with icy gusto. The rest of the cast does admirably with the material they receive, but two cast members stand out, for better and worse.
Drunk, seemingly depressed, and often in and out of it, Matthew Rhys' troubled and tortured Inspector Leach is an interesting character who doesn’t get nearly enough development to make him truly fascinating. Indeed, he doesn’t appear until the middle of the first episode, and the efforts to establish his haunted mind fall short of their potential. And yet Rhys is such a magnetic performer that one can’t help but buy into his take on Leach.Towards Zerocould’ve used a lot more Leach, not only because the character is played by an Emmy winner with a proven track record, but also because the character’s backstory warranted far more attention.
Viewers may recognize Keene from her previous character Ruby, the hyper-popular and unexpectedly complex mean girl from the hilarious teen comedySex Education. Here, Keene plays a similarly tricky role, an apparent femme fatale with more than a few secrets. Keene is quite good in the role, and like Rhys,she elevates what would otherwise be a rather thin character. The issue is that Keene looks a tad too modern for the 1930s setting; coupled with a few genuinely puzzling costuming and hair and makeup choices, one can’t shake the feeling that this woman absolutely knows what an iPhone is. Still, Keene easily walks away with the first two episodes, even if she mostly fades into the background come the third hour.
When all is said and done,Towards Zeroisa solid, albeit poorly paced, adaptation of one of Agatha Christie’s most underrated novels. Indeed, there are worse ways to spend three hours, and the cast alone should be reason enough to tune in. This is one show that works better as binge, especially because the first episode is just not strong enough to generate interest in a weekly release. Even so, the different approach to the whodunit formula is laudable. While not a blazing success,Towards Zerois lush, gorgeously staged, and, once the mystery actually starts, rather compelling. If only it started sooner.
Towards Zeropremieres on BritBox starting April 16, with new episodes released daily on April 17 and April 18.
Towards Zero
Towards Zero is lush, gorgeously staged, and, once the mystery actually starts, rather compelling.
