Netflix’s 'perfect' true crime series that's based on Welsh cold case
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from the ITV drama The Pembrokeshire Murders.
The "perfect example" of a true crime series, The Pembrokeshire Murders, is now available on Netflix. The three-part series originally aired on ITV back in 2021, has now found a new audience on the streaming giant.
The Pembrokeshire Murders delves into the story of Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins, played by Welsh actor Luke Evans, who re-opens unsolved murder cases and tracks down a prolific serial killer. The series also includes big names such as Llanelli-born actor Keith Allen as serial killer John Cooper, Alexandria Riley as Detective Inspector Ella Richards, Suzanne Packer as Chief Constable Tyler and Owen Teale as Gerard Elias QC. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
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The series is based on the book written by the real-life detective that worked on the cold case. In the three-part series, four murders are committed in the 1980s but go unsolved by Dyfed-Powys Police. In 2006, the cases are reopened by DS Wilkins after he gets a promotion.
Nearly two decades on, the force are able to use advance forensic technology that's now at their disposal and discover a DNA match with someone who is getting ready to be released from prison for a string of burglaries. Rather remarkably, the series also shows how Cooper's appearance on a TV gameshow called Bullseye was able to help the authorities match him from sketches created from witness descriptions.
When the series was aired three years ago in 2021, critics were full of praise and now it is hoped a whole new audience will be able to discover the episodes after they were added to Netflix on Sunday, December 1. Rebecca Nicholson of the Guardian praised the series that was "full of top-notch performances", especially from Luke Evans.
The review concludes: "Viewers seem to devour dramas about true-life killings. Less competent entries into the genre can wade through murky waters, particularly in terms of whether it is decent, or not, to delve into the stories of those whose relatives are still alive. But to my mind, The Pembrokeshire Murders is a perfect example of how to do it well. It is sensitive when it needs to be, and never loses sight of who suffered. Ultimately, it is about how the victims were given justice, no matter how long it took, and of the painstaking, precise detective work involved."
Meanwhile, New Statesman praised the standout performances from both Evans and Allen. They wrote: "Evans has a face, strong and kind, that's built for compassion, and a voice that makes instant poetry of everything... But it was Keith Allen who stole the show as Cooper."
Fans were also impressed with the series, with one reviewer saying; "This is, by far, one of the BEST true crime limited series that I've ever seen. The acting is outstanding, the writing is brilliant and the cinematography is breathtaking". However, some viewers had expressed a desire for more episodes in the limited series.
One viewer said: "Excellent. This is one of those rare good examples of the 'based on true story' crime dramas. The only complaint I have is that it was too short. For me, only three episodes was not enough to tell the story of operation Ottawa.
"It seemed like this was a quick abstract of a much longer story with much more details. Ottawa lasted for full three years. Be that as it may, the dramatic tension was well through out, and the resolution felt very satisfying. It was very well done".
