Television Review | A sneaker invaded the lives of two loners with tragic consequences: The British series is true Crimea at its best

For a long time British actress who has made a career Timothy Spall recently visited the Love and Anarchy film festival most recently Last turn – from his film. The film is not Spall’s best, but now he gets to shine again in the true crime series The Fifth Commandment (The Sixth Commandment2023).

Spall plays a real-life tragic character, a teacher-writer Peter Farquharwho fell victim to a psychopathic killer in 2015. Farquhar was a recluse and more or less a closeted homosexual when Ben Field a sneaker named – invaded his most private life.

The case is creepy and makes you think about all the insecure elderly people in the world who are all too easy to take advantage of. After Farquhar, Field immediately moved on with his flowery speeches to the unmarried woman next door, by Ann Moore-Martinto hote and began to convince his love.

Neither of Field’s victims were even completely alone, but those close to them were either blue-eyed or ultimately unable to intervene, even as Field began to look increasingly suspicious.

Although tells all this, there won’t be any bad plot revelations, because the viewer knows from the beginning of the series what it’s about and where we’re going, and the British themselves probably have a good memory of the incident. The tension comes precisely from the share of loved ones.

This is how true crime usually works anyway. The events are known in advance or are easy to find out by googling. The question is not who did the murdering.

After Farquhar, Ben Field fell victim to Ann Moore-Martin (Anne Field). Picture: Amanda Searle

The Fifth Commandment is of very high quality in its class. An experienced person is responsible for the script Sarah Phelpswhich is known, among other things, for its exquisite Agatha Christie – adaptations and the miniseries Peri-British scandal.

Supervisor Saul Dibb creates a quiet atmosphere of horror in the everyday boring neighborhood, although the overexposed picture doesn’t really suit my taste at least and takes too much attention. In a way, there is no physical violence in the series at all.

Along with Spall, the other actors are also in great shape. Anne Reid is Field’s second victim, and the Irishman playing Field himself Éanna Hardwicke is a great choice for the role. Psychopaths have been seen in movies and series all over the world, but the emotionless Hardwicke is downright shocking.

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You can always wonder about the popularity of true crime, and The Fifth Commandment is no exception in that sense, even if the execution is top notch.

Two the first episode is hard to even endure, especially because of or because of Hardwicke but also Timothy Spall. How can intimacy be described in such an uncomfortable way.

Next are the mandatory, relief sections, i.e. the police enter the picture and in the last section the culprit will stand trial.

True crime you can always wonder about popularity, no The Fifth Commandment make an exception in that sense, even if the execution is top notch. In what way does true crime ultimately meet the expectations set for entertainment? In the case of Ben Field, the series of events doesn’t really lead to anything except, of course, the punishment imposed by the law.

A psychopath remains a psychopath, and the family members are left with the guilt for the rest of their lives. In crime series, after all, you get to solve mysteries along the way.

The fifth commandment, Yle Areena from Wed 1.11. at 6:00 a.m. and TV1 on Wednesday 1 November. at 22:00.