Nightsleeper review – fantastically dreadful
This new six-part drama from the BBC, titled Nightsleeper, combines elements from various shows. It has a hint of Bodyguard (the Jed Mercurio version, not the Whitney Houston one) as it features some terrorist threats on a train. There's also a resemblance to Idris Elba’s Hijack since the train is – you guessed it – being hijacked. The story unfolds in real time, reminiscent of 24. It carries echoes of Speed (for those who remember that classic) because a group of unstable individuals has the lives of numerous passengers in their control, and only an unexpected duo—one man and one woman—can rescue them. Set on the overnight train from Glasgow to London, the series is both thrilling and terrifying.
Most of it shows the cast members standing around, looking ominously at a device found connected to some wiring on the floor of the conductor’s cabin. “Is it a bomb?” nearly everyone asks as they enter the room. If I were in a position of authority on the train, I would make sure to lock the door behind me every time I went in, just to keep anyone passing by from learning that the train is being controlled remotely by someone who has not only jammed everyone’s phones but is probably up to no good. They've also cut off communication with the driver. I’m not sure why the conductor can’t just go up and knock on the door. But soon, these small details will be overshadowed by much more ridiculous things.
The central figure on the train is a traveler wearing a red and black jacket. His fellow passengers regard him as a hero after he prevented a mugging on the platform just before boarding. Interestingly, they seem completely unfazed by his refusal to reveal his name. One of the passengers, an oil rig worker, has a satellite phone that our hero, Joe – played by Joe Cole from Peaky Blinders, who appears so stoic it’s almost distracting in what is meant to be a fast-paced thriller – uses to contact the National Cyber Security Centre. He speaks to acting technical director Abby (Alexandra Roach) about a device connected to the wiring in the floor.
Is it an explosive device? Absolutely not. We've already gone over this. She suspects it might relate to a virus that’s rumored to be targeting the antivirus software utilized by crucial systems across the nation. She requests her teammates to look into it. Her oddly untroubled coworkers reassure her that everything will be okay, considering that preventing potential threats to vital infrastructure is essentially their main responsibility.
Friends, things are not looking good. It turns out that one of the crucial systems relying on the compromised software is... the train network! The hidden hijackers make their presence known by restarting a driverless train in Motherwell, before all the passengers have had a chance to safely evacuate. "We have a hostage situation," announces Abby, who was all set to go on vacation with her best friend when chaos erupted. "Among the passengers are a diverse group: a disabled woman, a resilient older gentleman – who used to be the conductor of this train, so he might be useful later on – his worried daughter, a bothersome journalist, a rowdy drunk, a missing child, a humorous Scotsman, a young man, a strong and handy oil worker, and, oh, the transport secretary, who is hiding out after a social media scandal." Alright, I added that last part, but it would surely be a lot better than what she and many others end up rambling about. The writing is truly lacking.
While checking the passengers with facial recognition technology, officials discover that one of them is on Interpol's wanted list. You won't believe who it is—unless you've spent your entire life isolated in a basement without any exposure to television.
In a rather unexpectedly anticlimactic action, the hijackers also gain control of the departure board at Victoria Station, which may have sounded impressive in theory. They demand £10 million in bitcoin, warning that otherwise there will be serious consequences.
As time passes, the situation grows more ludicrous, and even within the flexible boundaries we set for these antics, becomes downright silly (like when armed police units fail to check the bathrooms and rely solely on a young boy's assurance that he's hiding alone). Moreover, the lines that the unfortunate actors must deliver become more and more cringeworthy. At one moment, just when it seems the train will pull into the typical station, the director general of the NCSC remarks seriously, “I didn’t need to take that ibuprofen after all.” Wait, what?
Instead, check out Hijack once more. Or you could go for Bodyguard. Both options are great!
