Channel 5's The Serial Killer's Wife is unintentionally hilarious
This quick-paced film is filmed like a lavish Magnum ice cream commercial, which only adds to the absurdity of the plot.
Channel 5 has established itself as the top choice for delightfully absurd thrillers. However, in comparison to its usual outrageous offerings, The Serial Killer’s Wife felt particularly outlandish and hard to take seriously.
The show is based on a sensational novel by Alice Hunter and has just made its way to regular TV after spending a year on Paramount+, where it didn't generate much excitement. It's clear why it hasn't caught people's attention. The characters are largely unlikable, treating each other poorly and acting in ways that seem completely irrational.
Beth (played by Annabel Scholey) was the elegant spouse of the sophisticated doctor Tom (portrayed by Jack Farthing). They enjoyed an idyllic life in a charming coastal town in Kent, but everything changed when a birthday celebration for Tom took an unexpected turn. The police showed up and took him into custody on charges of murdering his assistant.
Tom's devoted wife was in shock, but it shouldn't have been unexpected that the police were searching for a murderer. After all, it was Beth who discovered Kate's body on the beach while jogging. She was very disturbed by the grim find, yet it was not enough to stop her from planning a birthday celebration for her husband's 40th a few days after.
People seemed shocked that Tom could be charged with misbehavior. However, I had already figured him out. He had a sketchy vibe and a flashy, romantic-style haircut that is typically worn by the villains in low-budget thrillers.
Beth was just as shocked as everyone else when he was taken away. She was also taken aback to learn that the deceased assistant had been fired by Tom and was suing him for wrongful termination.
She was dealing with other problems as well, including the unexpected return of her money-seeking, free-spirited mother, Clover (Julie Graham). On top of that, Beth was facing hostile looks from other moms during the school drop-off, a situation that seemed to bother her more than when her husband was taken away by the police.
Scholey put in a lot of effort to make Beth seem like a believable main character. However, she was hindered by an absurd script. For example, the morning after her husband was arrested, Beth was eager to play tennis with a friend, even though that friend, Morgana Robinson, had recorded Tom's arrest and shared it online. Morgana said she wanted to draw attention to police brutality. Instead of reacting angrily like most people would, Beth just accepted the situation without a fuss.
The first episode concluded with an unexpected turn when Beth stumbled upon Tom's secret phone. Inside, she found a video of him engaged in intense sexual activity with a woman who resembled the deceased Katie.
Once more, she was taken aback by how things had unfolded, even though she had already seen the earlier video of Tom in a similar situation with another woman. Deep down, she understood that her husband was unfaithful. Was she shocked to learn he was involved with his assistant? But even if he was cheating, did that mean he was a killer?
However, it was in a lengthy flashback right before the end of the movie that The Serial Killer’s Wife took a turn for the ridiculous. A younger version of Beth was at an upscale nightclub when she noticed Tom. In no time, they slipped away for a brief encounter in the restroom. Before long, another woman joined them, gently caressing Tom’s arm while he and Beth got intimate.
The scene had the over-the-top glamour of a Magnum ice cream commercial – I almost anticipated Tom pulling out a chocolate ice cream cone by the end. The intention seemed to be to portray their romantic life as both lavish and thrilling. In reality, it turned out to be downright hilarious, which was a tone this ridiculous escapade hit way too frequently.
Catch the next episode of ‘The Serial Killer’s Wife’ tomorrow at 9 PM on Channel 5.
