Now, you could say there is a decent mystery in who these two really are and why they are targeting this particular family. But it is obscured by a sheer unpleasantness that taps into our deep-seated fears: of home invasion, torture, the threat of rape and murder. Elsewhere, we are witness to other grim crimes.
Either Hayder, who died in 2021, or Megan Gallagher, who adapted the book for television, has drawn inspiration from Michael Haneke’s infamous 1997 film Funny Games, which covered similar territory. But tonally it feels all wrong when the macabre drama sidesteps into humour.
As the bogus detectives, Iwan Rheon and Sacha Dhawan attempt to be comic. It is self-consciously odd, including a dance scene in the final episode (available on iPlayer). Gallagher even throws in a nod to Doctor Who, because Dhawan appeared in that show as the Master. This isn’t really the place for in-jokes.
There are a couple of decent twists near the end, if you’re prepared to stick with it, and the production gets two stars for its two central performances. Ukweli Roach does his best with the role of Caffery, despite the clichés (detective with a troubled past – well I never). And Juliet Stevenson is terrific as Matilda, utterly believable as a woman terrified for her life.
