In Landscapers, what could’ve been a tedious story based on yet another true-crime affair is transformed into a fantastic fable that challenges and reimagines truth in imaginative ways. It’s more like a play than anything, complete with revolving sets, multicolor lights, and the occasional breaking of the fourth wall. But when it’s not staged like a theater show, then it has fun experimenting with form and genre. The series is masterfully edited to blend reality with the cinema Susan and Cristopher love so much, so sometimes they’re in soft-focus black and white, other times they’re in technicolor flair. It’s a technical wonder, but thanks to Colman and Thewlis’ performances, it’s also a twisted love story and an emotional roller coaster.
Synopsis
A seemingly ordinary British couple become the focus of an extraordinary investigation when two dead bodies are discovered in the back garden of a house in Nottingham.
Storyline
Based on real events, Landscapers tells the story of Susan and Cristopher Edwards (Olivia Colman and David Thewlis), a seemingly ordinary couple accused of murdering Susan’s elderly parents.
TLDR
Nothing like a delusional cinephile to make you question what’s real and what’s not.
What stands out
The play-like setup is inventive and imaginative, a rarity in this genre. Sometimes it risks over-romanticizing a horrifying affair, but it also leaves enough room for the audience to make their own judgments on the case.