The Big Picture
Bodies
is a time-traveling Netflix series that explores the passage of time and the impact of our choices on the people around us.
The series jumps across four time periods and follows different detectives trying to solve the same murder, linking them together.
The show features a phenomenal cast without big Hollywood names, allowing viewers to fully engage with the story without being distracted by celebrities.
Time holds all secrets to the universe in the time-traveling Netflix limited series Bodies. Based on the DC Vertigo graphic novel, it’s much more than just another entertaining entry within the science-fiction genre. It’s an exploration into the passage of time, and how the choices we make not only define us but more importantly, the people around us. Jumping across four different time periods, the thriller series is a murder mystery, period piece, and family drama all rolled into one. One of the main draws of Bodies is its phenomenal cast, and though there is no glaring star power with big Hollywood names, it does the series a service, as viewers aren’t distracted by celebrities. It’s often rare that time-traveling series can be digestible with its infamously complicated storylines, and it’s no small feat that the Netflix limited series more than accomplishes this.
The British thriller is an adaptation first and foremost, and it is one of the many successful comic book adaptations to come out in recent years. With adaptations come die-hard fans of the original source material, and Bodies more than honors its roots while creating something magical of its own. The DC Vertigo graphic novel was written by author Si Spencer, and across eight episodes, his story is brought to life through rich characters and philosophical pondering. The series jumps across four time periods and follows a different detective attempting to solve the same murder to varying degrees of success. A conundrum with seemingly no answer, a man’s naked body appears on the same street in 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053, and his inexplicable death and appearance is what links all four detectives together.
Bodies
Release Date October 19, 2023
Cast Jacob Fortune-Lloyd , shira haas , Kyle Soller , Synnove Karlsen
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 1
Creator Paul Tomalin
Kyle Soller Leads a Great Ensemble Cast in ‘Bodies’
Bodies stars Kyle Soller, Jacob Fortune Lloyd, Amaka Okafor, and Shira Haas as the four detectives, respectively, and each faces adversity within their time period as they go on the hunt for a murderer who evades justice by jumping through time. All four actors portrayingthe tortured detectives are the beating heart of the show, and each one hides secrets of their own as they attempt to uncover others’ hidden truths. This is partially what sets Bodies apart from other series within its genres. It takes the time to explore the past in order to understand the present better and demonstrates the daily struggles former generations went through to fight for change. Soller’s performance as Detective Inspector Alfred Hillinghead is particularly moving, as he must conceal who he is in a society that is not yet ready to accept his true self. Soller, previously known for his work as Syril Karn in the Star Wars series Andor, fully embraces his gifts as a dramatic actor in Bodies.
Why ‘Bodies’ Is the Perfect Murder Mystery to Binge-Watch
If science fiction and time-travel aren’t enticing enough to tune in, then the murder mystery at the series center should be. There are hundreds of rabbit holes and shady suspects, and Bodies becomes an addictive whodunit that will make you unable to resist binge-watching the entire series in an entire sitting. If you need a break from the same predictable cop procedural shows, this is the perfect solution. British actor Stephen Graham portrays the main murder suspect who seems to appear in each time period, and he is the series’ secret weapon. Appearing in acclaimed series such as HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders, he gives one of television’s most wicked performances in recent years and is sure to be nominated for numerous awards. His evasion of the law as the four detectives attempt to track him down is invigorating to watch, and the series pays many homages to classic detective mysteries.
Bodies is dark, and grimy, and leads viewers into the dingiest of places with pulse-inducing jump scares. It has tense, cigarette-smoke-filled interrogation rooms with startling revelations, and checks off every box that a good murder mystery series should have while delivering even more. The most fun and exciting time period to watch is the one set in the present day, thanks to a phenomenal performance by Amaka Okafor who shines as a meticulous detective and single mother. Portraying Shahara Hasan, she is the first of the detectives to realize something otherworldly is happening, and she inarguably becomes the star of the series. As she gets closer to the truth and discovers chilling secrets, Bodies becomes the next best Netflix original crime thriller viewers have been desperately craving as the streamer has been struggling with churning out hits.
How ‘Bodies’ Compares to Netflix Time-Travel Series ‘Dark’
While Bodiessucks viewers in with a disturbing murder that launches a hundred questions with no answers, it morphs into something much deeper and profound as the series delves further into life and death. What if there was a way for humans to cheat death? Would it make you a God, or the devil? Good versus evil is at the root of Bodies, and the series argues that when power falls into weak hands, the demons within often win. Yes, there are plenty of wolves hiding in sheep’s clothing who prowl the streets in this addictive thriller, but goodness is never too far away.
The German Netflix original series Dark had similar themes as it jumped around different time periods, but it wound up being much more concerned with the meaning of life, and the things humans do to each other. It was universally acclaimed, and Bodies clearly took inspiration from the series and follows proudly in its footsteps. Bodies shares similar interests with Dark, and its concern with existentialism is its crowning jewel through the murder mystery investigation. How do we find meaning and identity in a meaningless world? It doesn’t offer simple answers. It makes us think and gifts us with something so much more profound than a time-traveling series with a gruesome death.
At its core, the series argues that we are not defined by what we think, but by what we do. Evident to anyone tuning in to watch, Bodies has a bit of everything for everyone to love: tortured detectives with vices, determined to solve the case. It’s got ruthless mob bosses, cults, and heroes willing to sacrifice anything for the ones they love. It’s no secret that Netflix has been in need of the next big hit as it competes with its streaming rivals, and Bodies more than delivers. It also uses the various time jumps to explore issues of racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia, leading it to feel more relevant than ever as a compelling study of how people in society have strived to not only survive but to fight to be their true selves for centuries now. Over its ambitious eight episodes, Bodies offers a rollercoaster ride for viewers to embark on.
Bodies is available to stream on Netflix.
Watch on Netflix