The Staircase: Colin Firth ‘steals the show’ in this HBO Max drama
Dramatisation of hit true-crime series is ‘cold and shaking and surreal and grim’
If you’re a Netflix subscriber and you like true crime, you’ve probably seen The Staircase, said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph – the documentary series made by two French filmmakers that was a huge hit in 2018.
It told the story of Michael Peterson, a novelist who dialled 911 one night in 2001 to report that his wife Kathleen had fallen down the stairs in their home in North Carolina. He insisted that it was an accident, but the sight that greeted police on their arrival suggested foul play: there was blood everywhere, and Kathleen had sustained “shocking” head injuries.
Now, HBO Max has turned the Netflix show into an eight-part drama starring Colin Firth as Peterson and Toni Collette as his wife. It’s compelling for the same reason the documentary was compelling: you really want to find out the truth about what happened that night.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Although Collette is well-cast here, it’s Firth who “steals the show”, said Rachel Cooke in The New Statesman. He captures Peterson perfectly: “his cheery coercion of those close to him; his hoary, overworked, cracker-barrel indignation”. Yet the series still feels “superfluous: a last gasp for an already quite worn out story”.
Well, I was “transfixed”, said Hugo Rifkind in The Times. Yes, there are too many flashbacks, but watching Peterson’s character unravel is gripping. “No matter how often we have seen a post-tragedy dynamic in a drama, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one quite like this. Never melodramatic, it is cold and shaking and surreal and grim.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - pointed commentary, Haiti in trouble, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the RNC's MAGA takeover
Cartoons Artists take on RNC funding, Lara Trump, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump's presidential run: a bad bet for Republicans?
Talking Point The GOP is taking a 'big gamble' on former president's 2024 White House bid
By The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: properties with income potential
The Week Recommends Featuring a converted windmill and a country house with medieval origins
By The Week UK Published
-
Angelica Kauffman: 'shrewd and entertaining' exhibition
the week recommends One of two female founders of the Royal Academy, time was 'not kind to her reputation'
By The Week UK Published
-
High & Low: John Galliano – rise and fall of the 'ignominiously sacked' fashion genius
the week recommends Forced out of Dior in 2011, he has since engaged in a 'process of rehabilitation'
By The Week UK Published
-
Starter for Ten: 'very fun' musical adaptation of One Day author's debut
the week recommends 'Top-notch' cast combined with 'energetic and fun' songs makes for a 'feel-good' show
By The Week UK Published
-
6 well-thought-out homes with libraries
Feature Featuring a Tudor Revival in Texas and a condo with illuminated bookshelves in Illinois
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rebecca Serle's 6 favorite books about interpersonal relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by J.D. Salinger, Dolly Alderton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Príncipe: an island paradise off the west coast of Africa
The Week Recommends The remote island isn't easy to get to, but the journey is 'well worth it'
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: pistachio, lemon and coriander seed cake
The Week Recommends The unconventional coriander seeds 'make the flavours sing'
By The Week UK Published