Category Archives: DNA

2013, Abduction, Bullying, Cancer theme, Child Molestation, Clever Plot, Crime, Crude Talk, Dark, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, FilmReview, Gritty, Love Story, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Rape, Revenge, Sad small town, Suspense, Trailer Life, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Top of the Lake (2013)

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From Netflix:

When pregnant, 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself in a freezing New Zealand lake, Detective Robin Griffin has plenty of questions for the girl. But when Tui suddenly disappears, Griffin finds herself knee-deep in small-town secrets.

Just about everything happens in this gritty, tough TV series taking place in a remote location in New Zealand. To name just of the few features:

  • An amoral, cruel hillbilly family that kills, rapes, manufactures illegal drugs, etc.
  • A cult-like compound for women who have had bad experiences and are sometimes completely naked.
  • Child molestation
  • Gang rape
  • A mother dying of cancer
  • Self-flagellation
  • Dishonest police officers
  • A very capable woman detective (played by Elizabeth Moss) trying to get on with her life while dealing with her troubled past
  • Quite a few nude sex scenes
  • A not quite civilized society
  • Several murders

Yes, this is one crazy TV series. Elizabeth Moss, who played Peggy in “Mad Men”, does a terrific job. But all the actors do wonderful jobs.

You might not want to eat a full meal before watching. Nonetheless, for me at least, in the category of gritty this series is a DO NOT MISS!

2003, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, Detective, DNA, Dysfunctional Lives, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Serial Killer

DNA (2003)

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From NetFlix:

After recovering from a mental breakdown, brilliant investigator Joe Donovan joins the Manchester Forensic Investigations Unit. But his past continues to haunt him as he solves crimes with a fervor that causes tension between him and his wife.

Tom Conti and Samantha Bond appear in a cleverly written British detective series available from NetFlix as 2 discs that represent the only year (2003) that the series played. These 5 episodes may also be streamed from NetFlix.

In this particular story the novelty is that the DNA expert Joe Donovan experiences night-time wanderings which he cannot recall the next day. These night-time travels are connected with murders and seem to involve Donovan himself.

Enjoyable British mystery series with its own original gimmick!