Like a lot of shows I gave up on this when it first came out finding it too slow. Not sure what that says about me but probably something! Low attention span maybe. I just came back to it and I'm glad I did, I actually watched from the start again and this time it hooked me. I found some parts a bit-by-the-book, for example there is always a new detective in town. But I kept with it and found it quit clever the way all the back stories came together in the end. The setting is also quite atmospheric if familiar to a lot of British crime mysteries, there's always an eerie landscape to creep you out!

I really liked it once I got past ep 1 and 2. After that I couldn't stop watching. I would sum it up as a story about grief.

It's just as well anyone watching this seems to have no knowledge of the source material. It is "based on" a novel by Nicholas Blake, in his Nigel Strangeways series. Blake is the nom-de-plume of the former poet laureate, C. Day-Lewis (yes, indeed, father of DDL). In the 15 or so novels, Nigel is a donnish sort, nephew of a big cheese at Scotland Yard, and occasionally "helps." A gentleman sleuth, in fact.

The Beast Must Die is one of the best novels, and was once filmed (respectfully) by Claude Chabrol. It involves the search by a man for the car and driver that killed his little boy in a hit and run.

This series makes the father a mother, and black, thus ticking two boxes. It makes Nigel a young cop with PTSD (tick). His turns with irrational tantrumising may have their place in some film about PTSD but add nothing except tedium to this story.

I keep watching to see what other horrors the series can inflict. I have long wished that someone would make a series for TV of Nigel Strangeways, but now live in terror that they will, featuring this preposterous and totally unrelated character.

Does nobody read any more? Is nobody capable of watching a period drama series any more? Poirot was a great success, and still holds up brilliantly. Poirot could quote Shelley and refer to a factory as the "fons et origo" of a man's success without being afraid an audience would not get it. That was as recently as the late 80s to about 2000. Morse could refer to opera. But it seems to be de rigeur in today's drama that everything should be up to date and "woke," and by no means referential.

I have rarely been so angry at any adaptation. And I am not Luddite -- I loved Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet, and find Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock to be of as high a quality as the definitive Jeremy Brett series. But this Beast Must Die has just shut the door on what could have been a brilliant series of TV dramas with compelling stories and fabulous characters. I commend those who liked this series to the book, and any other Nigel Srangeways novels, all of which are available to read free on Internet Archive.

I agree with Absolute Travesty's review and several others who felt like I do. Sick of WOKE. Such a great cast. So sad. I've had enough of rave reviews on Cush Jumbo. Last few series she's been in have not impressed me. I'm sorry to all you fans but I didn't feel any sympathy for her. It's devastating to lose a child. The traits she portrayed I think were really low. Sneaky, dishonest, stalking, pre meditation. Come on. If you'd lost a child you sure wouldn't have the energy. The acting by everyone is quite good so I have to give this good marks because it wouldn't be fair just because I didn't like Cush. Lol.

Really enjoyed this series until the final installment, which ended completely anticlimactically. Wish they'd found a more interesting way to wrap things up.

I had hoped for more, but the series was too long, 3 episodes to be exact.

It was slow, and the parts with a mentally ill police inspector, are waiste of time.

A two part mini series would have been better.

I can see why people would give up on it too early. It's a very slow burn. Especially for British television, which is often good at truncating things. This feels very American and padded out. Probably it could have been a tight 4 episodes.

However, I did love the ending and thought the performances were solid. Had the pacing been adjusted it might have been an easy 8+.

Here we can see the direct effects of Brexit on people. NHS is failling to take care of loony psychos. The world is crumbling down, everything is falling appart.

Well, seriously, every character seems to so nut that it isn't believable anymore.

The story, acting, filming etc is very decent, but the character development is completely unbelievable. They all seem te be coming from a psychiatric hospital (maybe there isn't any on Wright?)

Please NHS, take care of those lunatics.

How come the audience are so thirsty hence crime we accept this awful meaningless tame production having a sequel?

The script is like some filmschool-students reading a terrible book and just solving how to make it for TV.

The acting is so far out I can only say this: Jared Harris. What were you thinking?

No suspense but all the characters suddenly appearing with no other meaning than to fulfill the stereotypes a script needs.

I never write reviews but if this is the future: a plot so boring it's worse than watching paint dry.

Awful. Just awful.

Frances Cairnes sets about achieving something that The Police couldn't, to find out who killed her son in a motoring accident, and punish them.

Initially I thought this was going to be a retelling of the great horror film from the 1970's, I was pleased to see it was an original show, and it's a particularly good one. It's almost like a game of cat and mouse, the stakes are very high.

I like the mystery, and love the set of characters, there is some real depth, some real intensity in them, particularly Frances and George.

Cush Jumbo and Jared Harris are the two standouts, but the supporting cast are fine too, the wonderful Geraldine James.

It's very well made, gorgeously produced, I wish I knew when the rest of the episodes were coming, it's a shame they weren't all uploaded at once. If this is the quality of programming to come out of Britbox, then the subscription is worth every penny. It's better than most of what's on terrestrial TV.

There is a Ruth Rendell vibe to it, those stories from the 90's, I get those vibes.

Highly recommended, 9/10.

Frances Cairnes (Cush Jumbo) is in shock when the police suspends the investigation into his son's murder from a hit and run. She investigates the case herself and traces the incident to George Rattery (Jared Harris). She infiltrates into his family. Meanwhile, troubled policeman Nigel Strangeways (Billy Howle) secretly continues the investigation.

This is a 6 episode limited series. There is some fine tension and a bit of a mystery. I do wonder if this could have been a simple movie. Jared Harris play a good jerk. Cush Jumbo is an interesting lead. I'm not as invested in the policeman. That half is probably unnecessary. Also there is a double climax going on in the last episode. Like most double climax, the second climax don't always exceed the first and it becomes somewhat anti-climatic. Cush, Jared, Geraldine James, and the sisters are all pretty good. They make this limited series pretty good.

I just finished watching this, which I enjoyed for the first 4 episodes. Then I think the writers either went to sleep or actually died. There was zero purpose to the other remaining episodes.

The acting was good, except for the drugged up zombie playing Phil's mother/George's wife. Could she walk any slower across the room? Could she be more mental? We're never told what the hell is wrong with her throughout the series. She just appears, doesn't know how to parent, doesn't know how to be a sister or a wife. So the character was completely unnecessary.

I still don't even understand the ending, because they just had people floating around in the water - was it real or a dream sequence, who knows, then the end credits rolled.

I am not finding the story particularly compelling, but the actors make up for it. I feel Cush Jumbo is underutilised so far, but Jared Harris is excellent.

Great acting... writing... directing and cinematography. My hat is off to all connected. So far I'm in it for two and plan on staying for the full ride.

Update... Ending less definitive and productive as it could have been... took off a couple of points.

Thanks to Cush Jumbo who made it all believable.

The rest of the cast was enough invisible and not worth it! Sorry!

Could've done in 3-4ep. Billy Howle facial expressions were weird, confusing. Or are they ticks? Too much of a sloppy look. Couple characters weren't believable, the son, Phil and his mother who obviously suffers from anorexia.

With the cast list I was expecting great things from this but I'm finding it extremely hard work. Whether I'll make the third episode or not remains to be seen.

Complex characters, brilliant acting, unusual story, unsettling music, beautiful cinematography...all make for a very satisfying watch and a distinctive crime thriller you won't often see on TV! Want to check out the original book it was based on..

By episode 2 this series started to feel bloated. Backstories backstories backstories.

It might have made a good movie or two part series but I am not willing to sift through all this garbage to find out there is nothing more than who I think was driving. It's pretty obvious who they are trying to make seem innocent and obfuscate their story line.

Nope I'm out.

All actors did a great job. No predictable or shallow performances. Characters had depth and kept me interested as to what they would do next. It's a very sad series. But it grabbed me and I had to watch it to the end. It's a story about grief and extremely well done. I could feel the grief. But it was no melodrama. The cinematography was excellent. Based on a book - I haven't read it - but stands alone as good entertainment. I'll write more to fill up the character requirement. Great casting. Cush Jumbo was great in her role - to play a grieving mother must be difficult and she nailed it. Recommend.

Slow. Boring and nothing much to keep me interested. Turned off after the 2nd episode.

My wife and I kept waiting for this story to get better -- being that it had some great actors and a bit of mystery. It didn't get better, it devolved.

Rotten Tomatoes sums it up best:

Cush Jumbo and Jared Harris make for thrilling combatants in The Beast Must Die, a coiled potboiler that excels with deft performances and rich atmosphere.