National Treasure: Kiri

HULU

Apr 02, 2018 By Matthew Roe Web Exclusive

The abduction of a young black girl twists into an amalgamation of accusations, schemes and guilt between her white foster family, her biological family, and her social worker in Jack Thorne’s (National Treasure) latest miniseries, Kiri.

Kiri Akindele (Felicia Mukasa) is set to be adopted by her foster family Jim (Steven Mackintosh) and Alice Warner (Lia Williams), and their son Si (Finn Bennett). Miriam Grayson (Sarah Lancashire) is the social worker handling Kiri’s case, who takes Kiri to her to paternal grandfather Tobi Akindele’s (Lucian Msamati) house for an unsupervised visit, after which Kiri disappears. Kiri’s birth father Nathaniel (Paapa Essiedu) is the top suspect in her kidnapping.

The mystery is spoonfed to the audience instead of relying on characters’ actual investigations, pitfalling due to highly mannerist moments and a cheap final summation. Its gritty realism of injustice and consequence makes for a nihilistic sit, satisfyingly void of catharsis. Matt Gray’s cinematography is unusual, off-putting, and maintains a perfect tone throughout. Williams, Lancashire, Msamati, and Essiedu are the raw power of the series, their absolute commitment contributing to their spectacular performances.

Ultimately, Kiri is an admirably executed story of confusion, emotion, and consequence, though not without a handful of fumbles. (www.hulu.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10

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Average reader rating: 8/10

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Paolo
September 12th 2021
3:52am

The mystery is spoonfed to the audience instead of relying on characters’ actual investigations, pitfalling due to highly mannerist moments and a cheap final summation. Diamond Concrete Co.

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