“The Serpent” is not just a great series, but one of the best of the year so far.

Shocking true stories often serve as the basis for films and TV series, but just as often they either devolve into a sterile retelling of events or veer into excessive emotionality and moralizing. “The Serpent” from BBC One and Netflix is a pleasant exception in this regard: it is a highly cinematic portrayal of the life of thief, swindler, and murderer Charles Sobhraj, who operated in Southeast Asia in the 1970s. It is interesting to watch both as a biographical work and as a standalone thriller about a charismatic criminal who skillfully weaves intrigues and cleverly deceives his victims and the police.

An Unconventional Detective

Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle) works at the Dutch consulate in Thailand when he accidentally learns about the disappearance of two of his compatriots. Despite his superiors' indifference and the lack of cooperation from local police, he begins his own investigation and quickly discovers that a certain Alain Gautier (Tahar Rahim), a mysterious gemstone dealer, may be involved in the young people's disappearance. And these victims may be far from the only ones...

The first thing that draws you to “The Serpent” is its unusual protagonist. He is not a weary, seasoned detective chasing a maniac. He is not a young, ambitious police officer looking to make a name for himself by capturing a notorious criminal. He doesn't even have any personal vendetta against the alleged killer. He simply cares about the fate of his compatriots. He is someone willing to take responsibility and risk his career to get to the truth, inform the relatives of the missing, and be at peace with his conscience.

Since Knippenberg is not a detective at all, he often makes mistakes, misses some obvious things that could help his investigation, and frequently acts on instinct. Nevertheless, he is very intelligent and stubborn, which compensates for his lack of experience in police matters. All this makes the character very lively, understandable, and convincing, and allows you to feel genuine sympathy for him. And Billy Howle does a pretty great job, raising no complaints.

A Phenomenal Antagonist

But no matter how cool the protagonist is in the series, he is far from the main character. “The Serpent” is a true benefit performance for Tahar Rahim, who captivated European audiences with the film “A Prophet” and has already earned a Golden Globe nomination for “The Mauritanian.” His version of Charles Sobhraj is a true scoundrel, simultaneously attractive and possessing some hypnotic power, yet repulsive with his dark nature. He can convince any interlocutor of his rightness. He can subjugate anyone to his will. His mere gaze sends shivers down your spine, even if he is wearing sunglasses. He can smile sweetly at young girls and argue about politics with men, then cold-bloodedly dispose of his victims without changing his expression.

What makes the character, or rather anti-hero, remarkable is that he does not kill for pleasure or due to any mental disorders. For him, deception, fraud, murder, and other crimes are merely tools to achieve what he wants and a way to get rich. Because of this, he is more frightening than any bloodthirsty killers from typical thrillers.

Against the backdrop of Rahim, even Jenna Coleman faded, who played one of the best roles of her career in this series. Here she had to portray a victim of an abusive relationship, a girl in love who turns a blind eye to her lover's actions for the sake of an uncertain future. The actress delivered several truly powerful episodes, especially in moments of her character's doubt about the correctness of her own actions.

Nonlinearity and Uneven Pacing

“The Serpent” literally tries to confuse the viewer every minute, throwing them into the present time, then into recent flashbacks. It either tells the story of the main characters or switches attention to secondary characters. At first, this nonlinear approach irritates adds dynamics to the series, turning each of Sobhraj's victims into a real person, rather than a typical dummy needed to showcase the antagonist's abilities. However, the authors failed to maintain the pace set at the beginning, and a little past the middle of the season, there is a noticeable sag in rhythm.

But while the series “The Serpent” has some issues with pacing, it excels in creating the enchanting and oppressive atmosphere of Southeast Asia during the Hippie Trail. The almost palpable heat, the colorful gathering places of travelers from around the world, the narrow canals of Bangkok—all contribute to immersion in the story being told on screen.

Should You Watch “The Serpent”?

“The Serpent” is a solid and atmospheric thriller about a real serial killer, boasting one outstanding and several solid acting performances. Recommended for all fans of the genre and personal fans of Tahar Rahim, whose number may increase several times after this project.

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