"The New York Times" said "Until I Kill You" was one of the ten best foreign TV series of 2024.
But it's probably not for you.
When people ask me for streaming recommendations...they usually tell me they want something like "Ted Lasso," upbeat, that will leave them with a smile on their face.
That is not "Until I Kill You."
"Until I Kill You" is about a serial killer. And it's true. And it's vivid and dark and you can't take your eyes off it.
So what we've got here is Delia, played by Anna Maxwell Martin. It's certainly one of the best performances of the year. You truly believe Martin is Delia Balmer.
As for her love interest, John Sweeney," Shaun Evans plays him with that charm we're all susceptible to, and his good looks are enticing. Shaun is warm until...
He's not.
Actually, at first you won't know who is the serial killer. Because Delia is so strange. But by the end of the first episode...
There are only four, just under an hour long.
And one of the main messages here is you can't trust the police, they're not really in it for you. It's just like the press, if you're called to give a quote, or to be on TV, make no mistake that they're using you, and you can instantly be replaced. The cops would rather not fight crime, they'd rather not be bothered/overwhelmed. And you've got to convince them your story is true and then they say there's not enough manpower to make sure you're safe and ultimately they can't prove the case, so you're SOL.
So you live in danger. Or do you? Is it all in your head or...
And what are the psychological effects of violence, and do you really want to tell your story again and again on the stand? No one seems to care about you, that you're falling apart.
I don't think they'd make this show in the U.S, Because we can't handle something this dark. It'd be gussied up with a movie star, who supersedes the role, rendering the whole thing less than believable, probably some icon slumming for awards season.
We want to believe there are answers in America, that it all works out. But most times it doesn't, or there is carnage along the way.
You probably don't have BritBox and based on the above you probably won't sign up for it. You probably stick to HBO and the Netflix algorithm.
But foreign television is almost always better than the American product.
You can see the "Times" list here: t.ly/qwOhv
I haven't seen them all, so I have a lot to look forward to. We burned our way through the "Times"'s best International TV of the teens, which was very rewarding. You can start here, there are so many winners:
Free link: t.ly/tvVZ-
And if you're the kind of person who reveled in foreign movies in the sixties and seventies, someone who wants to finish a show and be affected, I heartily recommend "Until I Kill You."
Once again, it's TRUE!
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