
EPISODE 1.1
Episode 1
Bangkok, 1975. Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg investigates the disappearance of
... More a young couple who were last seen alive at the apartment of gem dealer Charles Sobhraj.LessSet in the mid-'70s, this crime-thriller retells the true manhunt for one of Interpol's most wanted murderers, responsible for the deaths of Western travellers walking the 'Hippie Trail'. Stars Golden Globe-nominee Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian) and Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who).
It's Rahim's portrayal of the ice-cold psychopathic conman that will stay with you.
Full reviewThe Serpent, true to its title, treats Sobhraj as something more dangerous and otherwise less than human, but in doing so, it leaves the possibility of real insight behind.
Full reviewThere's enough audacity and confidence on display to cast a firm, often spellbinding grip.
Full reviewDrags in places, but gradually becomes the kind of binge that those who get drawn in might well consume in a weekend.
Full reviewA central irritant with this series is the script's incessant leaps back and forth through time.
Full reviewFewer episodes, more creative license and fewer twists would have helped condense Serpent into a consistently stirring series.
Full reviewA fascinating, exotic, lurid period-piece true-crime story about a suave, identity-switching serial killer who makes Tom Ripley seem like an amateur.
Full reviewThe Serpent is certainly a slow burn, and its jumpy timeline will take some getting used to. But the lead performance by Rahim, and fine supporting performances by Coleman, Howle and Bamber help us stay engaged...
Full reviewAn infuriating blueprint for how bad storytelling choices, bad accents and an opaque central performance can thwart even the most inherently gripping of yarns.
Full review...Would be fine if the show’s lack of insight were replaced by thriller tension or even entertaining performances, but that’s not the case here.
Full reviewRahim brings such a specific charismatic energy to the performance that it’s possible to see how enough people could have been drawn into such a dangerous and morally compromising web.
Full reviewThere's a fine line between inscrutable and dull, and Rahim stays mostly on the right side.
Full reviewThe Serpent: Season 1 is available to stream in New Zealand now on Netflix.
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