PopHorror Let's Get Scared
In 2015, Netflix released its fresh, bold take on the Frankenstein story: The Frankenstein Chronicles. The series was created by Barry Langford and Benjamin Ross and stars Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings) and Richie Campbell (Eve, Alien: Isolation video game). It tells the story of Inspector John Marlott as he investigates an increasingly bizarre series of crimes in 19th century London.
As the story opens, the body of a child has washed ashore along the edge of a river. But it is no ordinary body: instead, it is the pieces of many bodies stitched together. It comes right as The Anatomy Act is being proposed, an act that will end the illicit trade of stolen bodies for medical students. Marlott is assigned to the case in an effort to keep the killings from jeopardizing the passing of this act. Far from being a suave, confident detective, Marlott is a simple working man with a dogged drive and the conviction to do what is right.
He is joined by Constable Nightingale (Richie Campbell), and the two delve into the seedy underground of London’s body trade. They meet characters like the innocent girl, Flora (Eloise Smyth), and the dastardly body dealer, Billy Oates (a remarkable Robbie Gee).
The two men also encounter the writer Mary Shelley (Anna Maxwell Martin), who confesses she believes her masterpiece, Frankenstein, may have inspired the killer of the girl by the river to experiment in the reanimation of human corpses. Also in the mix are Lord Daniel Hervey (Ed Stoppard), a doctor who has a distaste for the anatomists, and his sister, Lady Jemima Hervey (Vanessa Kirby), who develops a fondness for Marlott.
The Frankenstein Chronicles truly captures the grim, dirty feel of turn of the century, poverty- stricken London. There is nothing romantic about this Gothic tale. Instead, everything is dark, terrible, and twisted. The acting is exceptional, with the ever amazing Sean Bean making every scene with Marlott compulsively watchable. He is truly a remarkable actor. This bold new story line mixes the tale we know with the trappings of reality to create an incredible new vision that is absolutely worth watching! One of the best series currently streaming on Netflix!
