At the beginning of this year, I took a journey into the life of one of the most notorious serial killers that London has ever seen in Fhiona-Louise’s 1989 drama Cold Light of Day. This amateur depiction of the life and crimes of Scottish killer Dennis Nilsen had aspects I admired, but it mostly left me wanting more. Little did I know I was about to get exactly what I wanted in the form of a slick new Sundance Now limited series Des with Doctor Who himself David Tennant as the “English Jeffrey Dahmer.” While structurally the new series shares a few elements with the film, this new narrative chooses not to dwell on the grisly details of the murders, but rather delve deeper into the psychology of this sociopath and the work that the police put in to investigate the killings that were just waiting to be solved. Based on Brian Masters’ book Killing For Company, which delves deep into Nilsen’s life, Des removes sensationalism for something more psychologically stimulating.
Taking place in the early 80s, the series begins where a lot of shows would end; the arrest of the killer. More specifically, the police are tipped off by a plumber to what he believes to be human remains in a drain next to the house in which he has been working. When the suspect, Dennis Nilsen, arrives home and is confronted by the police, he happily takes them upstairs and shows them where to find the remains of various different men that he has killed. The whole ordeal is more than a bit strange to the detectives on the case, including DCI Peter Jay (Daniel Mays, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), a dedicated officer who has been having some problems at home with his ex-wife. When Dennis, who likes to be called Des, gets to the police station, he seems a bit relieved to cop to at least 15 or 16 different murders that he can remember. Well, mostly remember, because names become a bit fuzzy when you have so much blood on your hands. There is no question that he is a killer, but the police have to investigate if he is telling the truth about the number and get as many details as they can to identify the victims.
The greatest strength of this series is the phenomenal performance from Tennant as Nilsen. There is practically no amount of gore or body parts actually shown, but the cold and matter-of-fact way in which Des speaks about his crimes will haunt you more than any images might. The way in which he portrays Des as someone who genuinely wants to “help” solve these “disgusting” crimes – these crimes he committed with such little regard for human life – is deeply unsettling. He is an open book as he describes dismembering bodies and boiling heads in a pot with a monotone delivery reminiscent of someone talking about going to buy stamps at the post office. He does perk up slightly when he learns his case has been leaked to the press, which leads to a journalist named Brian Masters (Jason Watkins, The Crown) gaining access to Des and getting permission to write a book about him. We see from his time with Masters that Des wants his story out there with the raw details – his details – intact in order to “honor” the victims. The logic of a deranged mind trying to control the narrative.
Throughout these tightly-packed three episodes, we get to see Des on his legal journey from his initial arrest to trial, an event that is more tense than it should be for a man who is so obviously guilty. The way in which this show balances the chill-inducing scenes with Des with the investigation into the victims by Jay is pulled off quite skillfully. This series is not just out to sensationalize Nilsen the way he so clearly wants, but to also give voice to the victims that will never be given the justice they deserve. With this being a true story, there is a fair chance you could know many of the particulars of this case, but the way in which this series presents it in narrative form is incredible. David Tennant gives one of his best performances in a career that is filled with fantastic turns. This is a story that is more than worth your time.
Video Quality
Des comes to Blu-Ray with an eye-popping 1080p presentation that pushes the format to its limit. The series is composed almost entirely of interior shots with detailed production design that is presented with perfect clarity on this disc. While the series has a dour color palette, the skin tones and facial details are incredibly rendered in a way you could almost mistake this for a 4K disc. Subtle facial features are readily visible. The colors from the set design and costumes are intentionally subdued to suit the tone of the story, but they have a nice stability. Black levels are very deep and never betray the objects on screen. No instances of compression artifacts crept up during the viewing. This is an immaculate presentation that perfectly showcases a skillfully shot series that deserves such treatment.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that is quite dynamic considering the type of show that it is. The series is primarily dialogue driven, but there are some environmental sounds that open up the track in a very impressive manner. There is some nice ambient activity, especially during the murmuring of the courtroom. The dialogue is reproduced clearly without being overpowered by sound effects or the score. The score brings a bit of life to the series that fills up the room on this track. There is not much that is going to knock your socks off in terms of low end response, but the sounds remain pretty dynamic throughout. This track has a substantial dynamic range that should please fans of the series.
Special Features
- Behind-The-Scenes Featurette: A ten-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss what they were trying to accomplish with this series, the characters they play, the look of the show, the origins of the show and so much more. Not immensely in depth, but there are many great insights provided here.
Final Thoughts
Des is a fascinating show that is more interested in exploring the ramifications of these killings on the people connected to them rather than glorifying the killer himself. David Tennant is simply unbelievable as this quietly monstrous figure in a way that will leave you deeply unsettled. RLJE Entertainment has given this Sundance Now series a Blu-Ray release featuring a great A/V presentation and one decent supplemental feature. Those who appreciate a well-executed true-crime drama will find themselves loving this easy binge. Recommended
Des is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Entertainment and Sundance Now have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
