Mr. Mercedes
2017
Original language: English
- mystery
- sci-fi & fantasy
- drama
The story
A demented serial killer taunts a retired police detective with a series of lurid letters and emails, forcing the ex-cop to undertake a private, and potentially felonious, crusade to bring the killer to justice before he can strike again.
What it’s like
Cold, grey Midwestern light and dim domestic interiors give Mr. Mercedes a bleak, worn-down look, with a palette of rust, slate and sodium-yellow streetlamp haze that suits a rainy night in. The camera stays mostly close and steady on its characters, lingering on kitchens, parked cars and cramped apartments, and the score leans on tense, low electronic pulses that sit under long stretches of quiet. Its vibe is gritty and tightly wound, with an undertow of grief and dark humour, the sort of crime drama to watch late and alone or with the lights off. The pacing is brisk within each episode but the story unspools patiently across the season, and the emotional register swings between gallows wit and real unease. Intensity is high: there are brutal killings and a steady build of menace, with some graphic violence and disturbing content that lands hard, and the sexual material is limited. The arcs follow a retired detective who is sour and stuck and a younger woman drawn into the chase, both slowly rediscovering purpose. It suits viewers who want a grounded, morally grey thriller with strong performances from Brendan Gleeson and a bleak, Stephen King-inflected sense of dread.
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