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Des

Des

A terrific turn by David Tennant makes this serial killer story all the more terrifying

7.7

TV Show

United Kingdom
English
Crime, Drama
2020
Daniel Mays, David Tennant, Faye McKeever
48 min

TLDR

There’s just something about Tennant playing icky guys that ensures a chilling experience.

What it's about

A three-part series following the arrest of serial murderer Dennis Nilsen (David Tennant) and the rocky pursuit of justice that followed suit.

The take

Des is a miniseries that understands viewers have had about enough with serial killers and true crime. Aware of the fatigue, it skillfully compresses the stories of Des’ multiple victims into three taut episodes without ever feeling forced or too much. The subject of Des’ sexuality (he expresses a fondness for men but never officially came out) has also been sensitively handled. Des’ biographer in the series, who is an out-gay writer, makes a valid point: better he tells Des’ story no matter how terrifying than someone else outside of the community. Who knows what false and demonizing correlations will be made? But just as big a chunk of the series is rightly focused on the two detectives desperately seeking justice for the victims. Though they can seem holier-than-thou at times because of the lack of characterization, they, too, ask the right questions about justice and rightful punishment. It may be too talky for some viewers, but there’s no denying Des is a smart show, one bolstered by strong performances.

What stands out

Tennant, no doubt.

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