Culprits is a new British thriller series on Disney+ that recently captured my attention. Created by J Blakeson, it was released on November 8th last year in the UK, and I’m surprised that I haven’t heard many people talking about this show. The show follows a crew of elite criminals carefully chosen for a high-stakes heist.
The “criminals” in Culprits
The crew was selected by notorious criminal mastermind Dianne Harewood (Gemma Arterton) with the promise that they’d all get rich to a minimum tune in the millions. She gives each criminal team member loving nicknames according to the skills they bring to the heist, while Dianne herself is Brains. Joe/David (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Candyman) is Muscle, who got his curious skills in his former job as a bodyguard. He very much wants to be a good person. There’s the fast-talking Officer (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, The Good Place) who makes ample use of her people skills, Driver (Vincent Riotta, Under the Tuscan Sun) who cut his teeth as a stunt driver, the tactical and talented assassin known as Specialist (Niamh Algar, The Wonder), skilled lock-picker Greaseman (Tara Abboud, Amira) who is a bit of a rebel, and others entrusted with munitions, logistics, and post-mission medical care.
The timelines bring fresh energy to Culprits
Culprits is presented in three different timelines: before the heist happens, the heist itself, and the aftermath. The show takes an approach that is not done by similar heist series or even movies. (Money Heist’s “thing,” for example, is total anonymity instead.) I admire Blakeson for trying this fresh take because, with heist projects, so much is usually left to the audience’s imagination. If there is a film centered around a big heist, you don’t know what happens to the culprits unless there is a ten-minute epilogue at the film’s end or maybe a sequel. (Netflix’s recent project, Lift, was a bit unusual in this, too.) By exploring what happens to the crew of exceptional criminals after they’ve gone their separate ways, Culprits gives us an interesting and original look at how to approach a heist series. And it helps us feel like we’ve seen a fully fleshed-out story.
The present ties into the past
Initially, the audience follows Joe in his new life with his husband and two beautiful children. Joe is trying to get a loan approved from the bank to open a bistro so he can start his new life in a new town with his new family. Joe has left behind the dangerous life he had that led him to Dianne. You see, Joe used to be David. David was a lifelong criminal who was more than happy to take on a new identity after the chaotic heist had forced all participants to go their separate ways, never to contact each other again. They were peacefully enjoying their riches when they discovered that, one by one, they were being killed.
Initially, the audience follows Joe in his new life with his husband and two beautiful children. Joe is trying to get a loan approved from the bank to open a bistro so he can start his new life in a new town with his new family. Joe has left behind the dangerous life he had that led him to Dianne. You see, Joe used to be David. David was a lifelong criminal who was more than happy to take on a new identity after the chaotic heist had forced all participants to go their separate ways, never to contact each other again. They were peacefully enjoying their riches when they discovered that, one by one, they were being killed.
Our anti-heroes reunite for answers
The murders of his former heist-mates cause Joe to realize that even though he’s moved on, someone else hasn’t. His past is catching up to him. And honestly, he shouldn’t be surprised that it is. As we watch the show, you may think that Dianne was after the expensive art and scoring a couple more millions, but there is a bigger game at play, and the culprits are all pawns willing to be sacrificed to find the Queen. Our anti-heroes reunite and try to get answers before it’s too late.
Stewart-Jarrett is an unlikely star for a heist series. His character’s past is full of his technicolor swagger in his action scenes and a heartwarming, wholesome tenderness to his relationship with Jules, played by Kevin Vidal. Culprits really does feel like a dream to someone (me!) who used to spend too much time on Twitter. To see a black queer man with a husband and two kids who was secretly a criminal – this is the show I’ve been waiting for! Another wonderful addition to the show is Kirby Howell-Baptiste. Her character is very eccentric and has such a charming gift of gab. Arterton, meanwhile, has a cold and intense demeanor that would make Cersei Lannister seem like a kindergarten teacher.
The good things make up for the downsides in Culprits
I will admit some of the writing in the show is a bit self-righteous. Certain monologues carry that tone too far – and detract from otherwise successful efforts to make the characters well-rounded and interesting. Nonetheless, Culprits is brimming with action, humor, and heart, as the nail-biting mystery is further uncovered in each episode. The cast gives a sensational performance and lends more than enough to the story.
It’s not all fantastic – the story of Culprits slows down a bit in the middle, but when you consider the show is ten episodes, that is to be expected, and I can understand and make allowances for that. Even with ten episodes, there is still more to unveil and discover around the criminal underbelly of London that David has found himself entangled with.
The dark humor blends effortlessly with the good old-fashioned heist sequences, big action scenes, and brutal violence. If there’s one thing you can count on from an action show on a streaming service, they will not hold back from the violence and savagery that a villain can bring. (Just look at Disney’s recent marketing moves with Echo.)
I love that, really. It adds to the tension and makes you afraid of the killer in Culprits. It makes it clear that this person will stop at nothing to get what they want. Throughout the episodes, the show ups the stakes for Joe and the other culprits. They understand that everything is on the line and nothing is sacred. They have to be smart, clever, cunning, and quick since the ones that want them dead have been ten steps ahead the whole time. Culprits is worth a watch.
Culprits is now streaming on Disney+.
It’s a limited series, and right now, no plans to continue the story have been announced.
Have you watched Culprits yet? What did you think? Leave a comment below or connect with us on X @MoviesWeTexted to share all your heist series thoughts!
