Reviews
Screencraft Review (05.01.2024)
One of the qualities this project has that makes it stand out from other projects are the really interesting, distinctive, and compelling characters, and their complicated relationships. The characters’ needs are clearly revealed, which is necessary in order for us to understand why Knox does what he does, and why Burke and Hare do what they do.
The writer is not afraid for the characters to cross over into the dark side. One set of characters lives with prestige and money. The other set of characters live with degradation and poverty, which creates a wonderful contrast that drives not only the characters, but the story, as well. We are drawn into the two different worlds of privilege and the other of the lower class and want to witness what happens as these two worlds begin to merge.
The distinction between these two worlds is wonderfully rendered, and we experience the war between the classes on an emotional and visceral level. Establishing the differences between Burke and Hare’s world and Robert Knox and his colleague’s world shows the disparities and the possibilities and impossibilities the characters face and are challenged. As the story unfolds, we care about the characters more and more, and we wonder what is going to happen to Margaret Hare and Helen McDougal as they join their husbands on the very dangerous and murderous, yet profitable, endeavor.
The dialogue is one of the strongest qualities of the writing. Each character has their unique voice, and we hear the different lilts in the dialects. There are too many examples of the terrific dialogue for the time and space allotted, but Hare’s dialogue “…Piss and shit runs through the streets. … You talk of gallows. I say we’re already dead.” Hare’s point of view and what he suffers on a daily basis couldn’t be clearer or better said than in this dialogue. We can relate to his desperation and existential crises and this allows us to engage on an emotional and visceral level, even more.
Cannes Film Festival Review (02.04.24)
In the first two episodes, the premise of the project is gripping and well established. The questions asked of “how far one would go in desperation” and “what is the cost for scientific progress” are interesting and make for good conflict. The multiple plot threads weave together fluidly and organically create this world of a city making a name for itself in the fields of science and education, but at a moral cost.
The most successful aspects of these first two episodes is the characters introduced and engaging worldbuilding with little exposition. We dive immediately into everyone’s story and overall the characters and their interactions with each other really shines. Everyone fits into the greater story and the individual interactions make for good entertainment. Even more specifically, the dialogue is particularly well written. Not only does it capture the place in time and the accents, but it often feels
authentic and gets to the point of the scene with plenty of great subtextual meaning and character progression.
While there are some moments that seem to move too quickly or story beats that do not quite hit their emotional mark, episodes one and two both end on great cliffhangers that drive the story forward. The involvement of a child is a great moment to show the overstepping of Burke and Hare’s choices.
Additionally, if the reveal of Mary’s body is meant to be the midpoint of the project, it works well. For it is at this moment that now the scientific community, who may have overlooked the malicious endeavors of Knox’s body suppliers, has seen beyond the vale via Dr. Lonsdale.
STORY: 4.5/5
This is an interesting premise that builds great tension in these first two episodes. Each episode ends with a plot point that is furthering the story while also acting as a great cliffhanger.
DIALOGUE: 5/5
The dialogue is fantastic. It feels authentic to the time and the accents work well.