Netflix's latest crime drama with a twist arrives - and the reviews are in

Love a crime show but tired of the formulaic approach to them? You might enjoy Bodkin, which has just arrived on Netflix.

Bodkin sees Will Forte star as Gilbert, a podcast host looking to create the next true crime hit.

He ends up in rural Ireland, investigating the disappearance of three people in a coastal town alongside his producer and an investigative journalist from London.

It’s a comedy. It’s also a mystery-thriller. We’ll take a look at the critic's reviews in a second, but take a gander at the trailer:

Bodkin currently has a fresh 63% rating over at Rotten Tomatoes. There are some glowing reviews. Others are not keen at all. It's a true mixed response. Let's get to the bottom of it.

Bodkin reviews

The Guardian says Bodkin is an enjoyable watch, but you do have to give it the first few episodes to get going. “It all works, in the end. By the third episode, Bodkin has found its groove and settled into it…It gains in pace, charm (and in dead bodies) and that first hour turns out to be an investment worth making.” It’s a 3/5 review.

The Roger Ebert website gave Bodkin a highly positive review, and a 3.5/4 score. “The story never overstays its welcome and instead unfolds into one of the most entertaining shows of the year,” says the reviewer.

The Daily Beast loves the show too, saying “it skewers the macabre voyeurism of true-crime podcasting, implicating its viewers just as much as its characters, to surprisingly refreshing results.”

However, some other reviewers didn’t much like Bodkin at all.

Observer calls Bodkin “deathly dull” and says “though it purports to be a smart take on true crime, the series doesn’t inspire much confidence or conversation.”

The Evening Standard wasn’t keen either, giving the “lifeless murder mystery” a 2/5 score. “For a show that’s entire shtick is about the power of a good story in true Irish-revival fashion, it fails to tell one that has any real effect,” it says.

Are reviewers offended at the attempts to skewer the much-loved true crime genre? Does Will Forte’s addition make viewers expect sharper comedy than is here?

We advise you take the Guardian’s review to heart with this one, and give it until at least episode three if you like the concept.

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