HBO, available via Digital Download

A straightforward case of murder is anything but when the obvious culprit has an unbreakable alibi…

Stephen King’s recent novel – to which a sequel has appeared around the world today as part of his new collection If It Bleeds – seems initially to be another of his delves into the world of police investigations, following on from his Mr Mercedes trilogy… but it takes a very sharp left turn and becomes far more what audiences have come to expect. This TV adaptation is comparatively faithful to the book (certainly if you think back to some of the 20th century movie versions of King’s work such as The Lawnmower Man) but there’s enough differences that even if you’ve read the book, you’ll be thrown by some of the plot developments. (One of these involves the ending, which I felt was stronger in the book.) There’s a very good summary of the differences here, if you’re interested, and the very short extra interviewing King about the adaptation is illuminating.

It’s been commented on that the miniseries could probably have been condensed into eight episodes, but the extra time gives the story a chance to breathe at key points and also to expand the mythology. During the show’s preproduction, one of the executives noted it was thought of as a one-off, but there’s clearly room for a sequel (watch the very ending closely for clues) and Cynthia Erivo’s Holly could easily be the focus for this.

Ideally you want to go into this unspoiled if you can. There’s around 60 minutes of extras, including a new mini-documentary about the creature at the heart of the series, which are well worth a look – after you’ve watched the whole series!

Verdict: Further confirmation – after the Mr Mercedes series and the Dark Tower film adaptation – that long-form television is a natural home for Stephen King’s tales. 8/10

Paul Simpson

The Outsider is available to buy via Digital Download across all major platforms

For comments on the individual episodes, check out Nick Joy’s reviews, starting here.