Review on The Pale Horse – A Cautionary Tale On Sony Liv

The Pale Horse, a BBC One Mystery Thriller Web Series was broadcasted in 2020 in two episodes of 1hr 57min in total. The series is about a man who is determined to find out why he is on the list of names found in the shoe of a dead woman. It is believed that a trio of witches is responsible for the sudden deaths. Written by Sarah Phelps, this drama is based on Agatha Christie’s novel ‘The Pale Horse‘ and is currently being streamed on the ott platform Sony LIV from 20th May 2022. The Star Cast  – Rufus Sewell, Kaya Scodelario, Poppy Gilbert, Sheila Atim, Georgina Campbell, Bertie Carvel, Rita Tushingham, and Kathy Kiera Clarke.

Plot Of The Pale Horse A Sony Liv Original Web series. 

Delphine Easterbrook (Georgina Campbell) is in an oddly named village of Much Deeping. It is the location of three women who are considered witches namely Bella Webb (Rita Tushingham), Thyrza Gray (Sheila Atim), and Sybil Stamford (Kathy Kiera Clarke). She’s there to ask them whether she is going to be able to make her husband Mark Easterbrook (Rufus Sewell) happy. Later it is found out by Mark that his wife, Delphine, has been electrocuted in her flat. He was devastated, not ready to leave her coffin at all.

And it’s not long before a thread of coincidental deaths and incomprehensible incidents begin to take place all around Mark Easterbrook. The woman he’s been cheating with, Tomasina Tuckerton (Poppy Gilbert), mysteriously dies in her sleep. The unrelated death of a shopkeeper brings a list of her possessions to light where Mark’s name is found. He is bewildered by everything happening around him and his world of friends and other acquaintances. Easterbrook decides to set out on a personal investigation to discover what is exactly happening amidst being investigated by the inexorable Inspector Lejeune (Sean Pertwee).

Review Of The Pale Horse BBC Series.  

The series “The Pale Horse” is the latest adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name. Written in 1961, this novel had a contemporary setting, and like all of Sarah Phelps’ adaptations, the set-up looks great and elicits the feel of that era. Just like every other adaptation of her, she modifies this story too and the add-ons here and there make it less dull.

The movie splits into two parts and that can necessarily be considered an advantage because it gives enough room for us to know that Mark Easterbrook will get to the bottom of this mystery pretty quickly while seeing him trying to figure out whether these witches are cursing him or that there is any practical explanation for this. Sarah Phelps changes the story enough to compress it into two episodes and it is refreshing to be able to see all of it within just two hours.

Rufus Sewell plays the role of Mark Easterbrook brilliantly. We also get to see excellent performances from Sean Pertwee as Inspector Lejeune and Scodelario as Hermia who loved Mark and took her chance to be close to him after Delphine’s death even after knowing that Mark doesn’t harbor the same feelings for her.

The parting shot shows us that the three witches stare directly at Mark Easterbrook even though he was behind a tree, far away. He freaks out at the stare and goes back to his car. Once inside his head only to find clumps of hair coming out in his hand. The energy and tension as to how Mark can see his death as an inevitability seems real, along with his inability to do much about it.

The Pale Horse is a mystery that is both equivocal and clear-minded when it comes to providing pleasing answers. Though the ending might make some audience disagree with this conclusion especially if we think about the role of justice or any other societal norms that they might morally believe.

Conclusion:-

Overall The Pale Horse is a cautionary story. The series is worth streaming if the audience is up for such a tale. It has great performances and the protagonist makes the show one of Agatha Christie’s better adaptations and definitely worth the shot. The series was originally released on the 9th of February in 2020 and is currently being streamed on the ott platform SonyLIV from 20th May 2022 and might have a chance to enter the top 10 most streamed series on Sony Liv.