Before we get into the review: yes, my reemerged Our Flag Means Death special interest has spun off into a whole Joel Fry thing now. At the time that I’m posting this, I’m several weeks into my actor deep dive and am building up a nice collection of posts for the docket. So until further notice, Fridays are now Joel Fry-days!
*Premise spoilers.*
*CW: suicide.*
I was intrigued at the thought of going into this miniseries, seeing Joel Fry playing a more dramatic role in an eerie thriller. Then I realized that, while his performance as Frenchie is soooooo indelible to me, Game of Thrones must’ve been the first thing I actually saw him in. So it’s not like he’s solely a comedy guy. Still, I needed to reorient myself a little as I dove into this one.
Concert cellist Matilda Gray is haunted by nightmares she can’t remember. But when she witnesses a devastating suicide from someone close to her, pieces begin sliding into place. She’s not sure how, but she’s convinced that an old box of newspaper clippings about a missing girl holds answers to the suicide, and maybe her nightmares as well. Matilda and her friend Hal head to the missing girl’s hometown in Wales to investigate.
My usual disclaimer when it comes to horror/thrillers: I don’t watch a lot of this genre, so I don’t have a great barometer for how well this would stack up compared to other horror fare, or what fans of the genre might think of it. I can only go by my uninformed opinion, and overall, I’m liking it so far. The creepy elements feel a bit tropey, and I guessed what the ending of the episode was going to be about halfway through, but I still enjoy how the story is being rolled out. This episode is about establishing the status quo and then breaking it, taking Matilda out of her everyday life and setting her on the path of this mystery.
Where it succeeds best, I think, is in introducing the major characters. Matilda is highly accomplished in her field but floundering a little in her personal life. Ahead of a big concert, the thing she’s most nervous about is telling her doting mother Janice about a new career opportunity that will take her to the U.S. for an extended period. Meanwhile, Janice comes across as incredibly proud of Matilda, and a little overbearing but trying not to seem like it. Once Matilda gets to Wales, we’re introduced to Rose, the mother of the girl who disappeared 23 years ago, and Nick, the young man who’s just inherited an old estate that’s somehow connected to the mystery.
I’m not familiar with Lydia Wilson, who plays Matilda, but I’m liking her so far. At this point in the story, she’s overwhelmed and a little numb, but she’s still determined to get to the bottom of this whole thing. Janice is played by Joanna Scanlan, who I remember best as Terri on The Thick of It. This is definitely a different sort of role, and she does well with it. I recognize Claire Rushbrook, who plays Rose, from various British TV stuff, but particularly new Who’s “The Impossible Planet” / “The Satan Pit.” She’s effective as a woman whose life was turned upside down and struggles when Matilda comes picking at old scars. And I haven’t quite figured out who his character is yet, but Brendan Coyle, a.k.a. Mr. Bates from Downton Abbey, is on the show as well.
Fry plays Harlan Fine—better known as Hal—Matilda’s pianist and close friend. His was the second name in the opening credits, so woohoo for that! As we’re dropped into Matilda’s life, it’s clear that Hal is a big part of it. They’re well established performing together, and he’s privy to various personal stuff she has going on: her tricky relationship with her mom, her thoughts on the guys she hooks up with through the apps. After the suicide, Hal is there for Matilda in whatever way he can, from making tea while she talks with the police to just holding her while she cries. He’s not sure about her sudden fixation on the missing girl, but he’s the one who suggests they make the trip to Wales, saying, “If it helps give you peace of mind, I say we go.”
They clearly know each other intimately, as both musicians and friends. While there’s nothing romantic between them currently, I can’t tell if Hal wishes there was. To me, he comes across mostly as a supportive friend, but there’s definite friction that crops up in the second half of the episode, after they meet Nick and he offers to help Matilda in her search for answers. I’m not sure if Hal is just protective of Matilda while she’s in a vulnerable position and they don’t know this guy, or if he’s jealous that their two-person investigation has gained an extra (attractive male) participant.
I’m enjoying this performance a lot. Hal is very different from Frenchie—kind of soft-spoken, and he’s warm, but in an understated way. I wanted to highlight a few scenes of Fry’s that I really liked:
- Before a concert, Matilda and Hal share a sweet, close moment, hands on each other’s shoulders and touching foreheads. I get the sense that it’s more for Hal than Matilda—moments earlier, we see him pacing and fidgeting in his dressing room—and it’s interesting to me that he’s more nervous than she is, since he’s very specifically the accompanist and not the star. Plus, given that he’s supporting her through much of the episode, it’s nice to see her returning the favor here.
- When Matilda and Hal get to Wales, their first encounter with Rose does not go well, and another character winds up getting rough with Hal. Nick is there to see it, and when he asks them if they’re okay, Hal replies, “Yeah, my dignity’s a little dented, but it wasn’t in mint condition to begin with, so I’m happy to just write it off.” Love it!
- Like I said, there’s some friction between Matilda and Hal in the second half of the episode. Nick has invited them to stay at the estate while they investigate, which Hal isn’t exactly thrilled about, and you can feel the mounting frustration as he searches the old estate for the “non-mildew rooms.” I love how Fry plays this. It feels to me like Hal isn’t exactly trying to be passive aggressive. Rather, he’s trying to just get on with things, but his frustration that Matilda won’t listen to him about Nick finds an outlet someplace else.
I’m looking forward to watching more! Here are my Requiem first impressions:
Accent Watch
As I started branching out into other Joel Fry projects, I looked around for a few clips of him speaking in interviews, because I was curious whether he has the same soft West Country accent that Frenchie does—he doesn’t. Instead, his real accent is like Hal’s, which I think is what you’d call Southern British English.
Recommend?
In General – I think so. I like the characters, and I’m curious to see where they’re going with the story.
Joel Fry – I would. It’s a good-sized role, and I’m really enjoying Fry’s performance.
Warnings
Strong thematic elements (including suicide and child abduction,) violence, disturbing images, sexual references, language, and drinking/smoking.
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