This year there are a lot of great series and the next highlight has appeared on Netflix. Eric is a new thriller series featuring Benedict Cumberbatch that MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes has compared to series like True Detective.
What is Eric about? Vincent Anderson, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a puppeteer for a children’s show. However, he is quite an unpleasant colleague who resists change and often confronts his coworkers. One day, his son goes to school alone but never arrives, and the search for him begins.
Along with the father and mother, Detective Michael Ledroit, played by McKinley Belcher III, also has a significant focus. He tries to find the boy and unravel a police conspiracy.
You can find another exciting thriller here: Unfortunately, far too few have seen a brilliant cop thriller on Amazon Prime
You can find a trailer for the series here:
Great Performance by Cumberbatch
Right off the bat, I must commend Benedict Cumberbatch. He is a major highlight. The turmoil and despair he portrays through his alcoholism, the search for his son, and his job is truly captivating. I often thought of Matthew McConaughey in the first season of True Detective. The fact that Vincent has hallucinations of his son’s drawing of a monster keeps the profession of puppeteer prominently featured in the series.
Gaby Hoffmann as the boy’s mother works well, as she shows the other side of despair and does not sink into her own madness. I was particularly impressed by McKinley Belcher III as Detective Ledroit, as he often has a cold but professional presence that reveals personal backgrounds.
The beauty of Eric lies in its constellations. While one thinks they have solved the case in the first and second episodes, other events and backgrounds come to light that make the initially simple case significantly more complicated. I also felt reminded of True Detective there.
The series unfortunately never manages to create the palpable pressure you have in True Detective, but the actors, especially Cumberbatch, are really good.
Unfortunately, the series tries to tell too much
The series also addresses corruption and homelessness. This can sometimes be too much, as one episode has multiple storylines, but it didn’t bother me. A focus solely on the characters would have been better, as the themes do not receive enough attention. Nevertheless, I can recommend the series to thriller fans who appreciate an atmosphere supported by strong performances. This Netflix series was also a highlight of the year: Netflix: The story of a man and his stalker shocks even Stephen King
