Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2004)

Absolutely the worst movie.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The first three 'Prime Suspect' series were absolutely brilliant. 'Prime Suspect IV' changed the format from two episodes compromising of one case for each of the previous three series to three different cases and actually did it very well.'Prime Suspect V: Errors of Judgement' was wonderful, but 'Prime Suspect VI: The Last Witness', having watched all the series over-time since reviewing the first series in 2016, ties with it as the best 'Prime Suspect' series since 'Prime Suspect III'. 'The Last Witness' is to me the darkest and grittiest since 'Prime Suspect III', and is one of the more suspenseful ones of all the series put together. Also with one of the more satisfying endings, not rushed, not too crammed, too convoluted or too pat, instead making one bite nails and may induce a few tears.As is the case with all the 'Prime Suspect' series, 'The Last Witness' is stylishly and cleverly filmed, with slick editing and atmospheric lighting, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. It is very gritty, dark and effectively claustrophobic. It is very hard to forget the music score too, plus mood-wise and with some exotic moments in the mix it's one of the more action and atmosphere-enhancing music scores of all the 'Prime Suspect' series. The scripting, like its predecessor, is some of the best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent, plus it is hard to not be impressed by the cunning subtlety of the conflicts.Story-telling is very compelling and twisty, with an atmosphere that is gritty and harrowing but also intricate and honest. It is a complex story that keeps one guessing right up to the end while also being easy to follow. Plus the suspense of a lot of it is nerve-shredding. The deliberate pacing did not harm it at all, in fact it was executed incredibly well and was necessary considering the amount going on.Jane Tennison continues to be an interesting character, the character and the depiction of the police force was very ahead of the time back in the 90s and holds much fascination now even if not so novel. There is the sense too that the character has evolved significantly, a feeling that one didn't get before.Helen Mirren gives a typically magnificent performance in the lead. Frank Finley's performance is deeply felt and one wishes agreed that there was more of him.Overall, just wonderful in every sense. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The more I watch Dame Helen Mirren, the more I want to see her reprise the role of DCI Jane Tennison, the no nonsense British detective, who rose the ranks in a man's world by working hard, sacrificing a personal life, etc. In this episode, Jane is determined to solve the crime of two Bosnian Muslim female immigrants and sisters in London. At first, it all seems locked up by the actual murderer. Tennison's hunches are often key in understanding that there is more than meets the eye. The murderer was a soldier and was taking orders but from whom and why? It's a suspenseful episode with great supporting performances by Clare HOlman, Frank Finlay, and Phoebe Nicholls. Finlay's performance as Jane's father is poignant as he recalls liberating a death camp during World War II.

Jane Tennison gets caught up in a Bosnian massacre in "Prime Suspect 6." In this episode of the powerful series, two sisters are murdered and Jane, who promised the second sister that she would be safe, is determined to bring the killer to justice. She believes that a man now living in London was responsible for a massacre in Bosnia and was recognized by one of the sisters, whom he raped when she was 12. Thinking they were dead, he tortured her for information about the whereabouts of the second sister. It turns out that what Jane knows and what she can prove are two different things, and her hands are tied all the way.Jane is her usual self - tough, controlled, and with a terrifying vulnerability underneath. Refusing retirement, she bucks the system blatantly, and if the subject matter weren't so serious, some of her actions would be funny. And who better to play this complicated woman than one of the greatest actresses of our century, Helen Mirren. With one look, she tells the viewer that no, she is not going to be able to stay alone in her Bosnian hotel room. Listening to her father talk about liberating the Belsen concentration camp, her emotion is palpable but she cannot take his hand. That scene, by the way, is probably the best in this episode."Prime Suspect 6" is of the same high quality as all the other "Prime Suspect" episodes and will not disappoint.

The Prime Suspect plays and mini-series have provided benchmarks for TV drama for a decade. The latest, Prime Suspect 6, raises the bar again. This two-part series is far more than a crime drama. Helen Mirren gives a complete performance, clever, vulnerable, confused, determined in turn. It is a magnificent sustained piece of top-quality acting.The supporting actors are equally strong, from Frank Finlay as Mirren's elderly father to the Bosnian victims and villains, whose tortured history DS Tennison (Mirren) unearths. They are helped by the quality of Peter Berry's script and Tom Hooper's direction. The story line is more complex even than previous Prime Suspects, involving Mirren in a terrifying visit to Bosnia in a search for the truth that neither the British nor the Bosnians want uncovered.In short, four hours of gripping, unmissable drama.