Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

gavin6942 A female police detective (Helen Mirren) investigates a series of serial murders while dealing with sexist hostility from her male comrades.Many observers have viewed Prime Suspect as the inspiration for female characters in American TV series, particularly noting strong similarities between this series in general—and the character of Jane Tennison in particular—and the later American series "The Closer", starring Kyra Sedgwick in the role of Deputy Chief of Police Brenda Leigh Johnson.I am not sure about the sexism of the show; were British police really that weird about having a female superior? They had a queen and a female prime minister... was it hard to imagine a female detective? But I suppose it is always a struggle.The plot is great, and you are left questioning along the way if the "prime suspect" is going to be the actual serial killer, or if there will be a curve along the way. You never really do know one way or the other until the end. And even then, are we really sure? You will have to watch it for yourself to see what I mean.

TheLittleSongbird There are many great mystery/detective dramas out there, and 'Prime Suspect' is one of the best and consistent there is.It is also by far the best series of Lynda La Plante's work, with 'Trial and Retribution' being absorbing but inconsistent with the early seasons being significantly better than the first and 'Above Suspicion' having some good things but also a lot of weak elements.'Prime Suspect' is stylishly and cleverly filmed, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. The scripting is some of the most best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent. The story is complex and easy to follow, with an incredible intensity.The depiction of the police force avoids being sexist and is unique for a mystery/detective drama. The characters are engagingly written, and written with complexity, Jane Tennison is one of the most interesting detective characters there is. The acting is superb across the board, Helen Mirren's performance is one of sheer magnificence, Tom Wilkinson impressive as always and John Bowe is deceptively charming and sinister. Ralph Fiennes, in an early role, has been better, but shows genuine emotion without going overboard.All in all, really incredible. If anybody is a fan of mystery/detective dramas, 'Prime Suspect' is a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox

isoldevansteijn Helen Mirren portraits the female DCI with dignity, courage and flair. She ís Jane Tennisson and every episode of this brilliant British crime series is worth more then any other series ever made before or ever made since. Mirren gets into the character from the very start and she slowly builds a genuine person of flesh and blood, that moves the viewer, because we understand her anger, her enthusiasm, her frustrations. There is an American Prime Suspect series now, but I don't want to watch it, because it can never be anywhere near as good as the original and that is solely due to Helen Mirren. This can never be topped. That goes for all the episodes.

freemantle_uk From the mind of crime writing specialist Lynda La Plante the Prime Suspect series was a critically acclaimed series in the UK and became one of Helen Mirren's most famous roles.DCI Jane Tennison (Mirren) is a senior detective in the London Metropolitan Police who takes over of a murder investigation of a prostitute when the original investigating detective dies of a heart attack. Tennison soon has to prove a suspect, George Marlow (John Bowe), finds evidences that they might be a serial killer, question the work of her precedence and battle of the sexism of her police colleagues.Police procedural are very common in the UK and can be at times formulaic as they do who done it story lines and have to become more inventive with the range of serial killers or rapists they have to find (if you read crime fiction in the UK you would think the nation is littered with psychopaths). What Prime Suspect works is instead of the usual cliché of finding a range of suspects, a suspect is already known and it is the police's job to find the evidence as well as finding more about the crimes the suspect has committed. This is much more realistic because normally the first suspect/main suspects are normally the personal who committed the crime.The other focus is Tennison's personal life as the investigation takes it told on her personal life, particularly her relationship with her partner (Tom Wilkinson) and the look of the sexism in police force as few female detectives had reached a senior rank in the early 90s. We get to see Tennison's relationships with her officers as some grow to respect her and show competence whilst others are too loyal to the precedence. We also get to look at the private life of the suspect, getting to know him and doubt whether he really did it.Prime Suspect is a very well-acted programme (bar an embarrassing heart attack scene). This is a programme that has top actors, including Ralph Fiennes in a small early role. Director Christopher Menaul keeps a great pace for the programme, using long takes and steady cam shots to add a naturalism to the preceding as it keeps a flow going whilst not Prime Suspect is high quality police procedural drama that fans of these programs.