Some of Netflix’s most successful series of all the time are crime thrillers. The most recent example is “Baby Reindeer,” which is still the number one show on the platform. However, there is a new dark comedy thriller, “Bodkin,” who could dethrone the former.
According to FlixPatrol, a specialized website that collects viewership data, this week on Netflix, “Bodkin” has reached the third spot of the Top 10 worldwide. Created by Jez Scharf, the series can remind you a little bit of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” in the way it combines the podcast fever with crime thrillers.
The series centers around Gilbert Power, an American podcaster looking to discover his Irish roots by traveling to the Irish (fictional) coastal town of Bodkin. There, he will investigate a cold case involving three people who disappear, and he will be joined by a journalist.
Netflix: ‘Bodkin’ charms the audiences, while critics are divided
‘Bodkin’ premiered on May 9 on Netflix, and it stars Will Forte as Gilbert Power, and Siobhán Cullen as Dove Maloney, the investigative journalist. The rest of the cast includes Robyn Cara, David Wilmot, Chris Walley, Seán Óg Cairns, Peter Bankole, and Kerri McLean.
The series consists of seven episodes, and it has already been deemed “strangest” true crime series, as well as “quirky.” On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a 68% approval rating, with many critics praising the performances and the lighthearted tone, with some complaining that the series lacks depth.
According to The Guardian‘s Lucy Mangan, “Bodkin” aims to capture the essence of Only Murders in the Building but “it doesn’t ever quite catch fire in the same way as that highly idiosyncratic show is unfortunate, if predictable, but not fatal to enjoyment.”
Yet, one of the series’ intriguing aspects is its satirical take on the podcasting phenomenon, although some critics feel the satire falls short. Interestingly, “Bodkin” marks the inaugural scripted venture from Barack and Michelle Obama’s production house, Higher Ground.
