Worth: $17.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama, Alicia Gardiner
Intro:
A must-see for those who love a good mystery and appreciate the Aussie sense of humour.
The mysterious death of a local footy coach forces a pair of mismatched detectives to band together in this unapologetically Aussie noir crime comedy set in Tasmania, in the fictitious town of Deadloch. Comedy writing team Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan bring a fresh, funny and feminist take on crime dramas to the screen with this twisted homage to the genre.
After walking away from life in the big city due to personal problems, former detective Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) takes on the role of Senior Sergeant in rural Deadloch for a better “work-life balance”. That is until a body washes up on the beach and all eyes are suddenly on her to solve the case. Her assigned partner, Detective Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) — an obvious gender-flip of the loose-cannon detective archetype — is fast-talking, brash and crass where Dulcie is strait-laced and by-the-book. Eddie comes in like a whirlwind, one foot already back on the plane to Darwin, barrelling through Dulcie’s fastidious investigation and determined to solve what she is certain is going to be a simple smalltown crime. In a town trying to survive gentrification, with a possible serial killer on the loose, these two detectives are just trying to survive each other.
Deadloch is far more than a parody of Broadchurch and other shows of that ilk. While the writing makes it clear that there’s an intimate knowledge of all the expected crime drama beats, the show uses that knowledge to put a twist on the expected tropes, drawing out genuine laughs in the process. The rapid-fire banter between Sami and Box is a delight: their odd-couple chemistry and offbeat buddy cop vibes are the true heart of the show, but the humour never takes away from the unfolding story. With its cast of fully fleshed-out characters and darkly beautiful cinematography, there’s always a sense of believability beneath the witty dialogue and occasional bit of slapstick.
Brimming with layers of politics, gender identity and sexuality issues, Deadloch is a fresh and culturally relevant take on the crime genre, leading audiences on a journey to truly unexpected places. It’s a no-holds-barred ride but at the same time handles sensitive topics with a depth of understanding that we don’t often see. Straddling the line between laugh-out-loud comedy and critical social commentary, there’s a complex sophistication to Deadloch that makes it inherently watchable. A must-see for those who love a good mystery and appreciate the Aussie sense of humour.
Deadloch premieres globally on Friday, June 2, with new episodes available each Friday, leading up to the season finale on Friday, July 7
