PENNY DREADFUL
SEASON 1
****
Dark and twisted, just how we like it.
THE GOTHIC horror series Penny Dreadful makes for compelling viewing, but it is not the kind of thing you binge-watch.
Between the unsettling imagery and complex storyline, it is an immersive experience. There are plenty of familiar but slightly different characters emerging from the darkness and a lot that happens, so time is needed to gather your wits before you dive back into all that delicious wickedness.
Richly detailed, the series is set in Victorian London and introduces us to the world that created the penny dreadful. These were short, lurid stories of crime and the occult which gave rise to novels like Frankenstein, Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Gray, all of which pop up in the series.
Structured around the search for Mina Murray, who has been captured by Dracula, we are introduced to her explorer father, Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) and her estranged best friend Vanessa Ives (Eva Green).
Ives is usually the only female in the team doing the searching and Green really sinks her teeth into the role. The heart of the team, her inner unease drives the character and often the action and Green effortlessly keeps attention focused on her.
The eight episodes afford each character time to evolve and show us who they really are and, more importantly, what they are hiding.
Ethan Chandler’s (Josh Hartnett) secret is apparent on a second viewing – it is even presaged in the credits – but you are distracted by all the detail and everyone’s problems which are usually complicated by emotional rather than logical responses.
While Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) is a study in scientific curiosity unbridled by thought for consequence, Rory Kinnear makes of his monster a violent yet surprisingly poignant creature which teaches us more about the human condition than most of the people around him.
Series creator John Logan wanted to tell a new story using old characters and has certainly told a mesmerising one.
SPECIAL FEATURES: includes inserts on the costume design which subtly aids the viewer’s understanding of character and the surprisingly large use of animals.The video blogs on the production process span topics such as Victorian sexual mores, the series’ literary roots and the artisans who created the fully realised sets. – Theresa Smith