Whether you squirm at the thought of a scary movie, are sick of the clichés of the horror genre, or are just looking for something to watch that’ll put you in the Halloween spirit, you’ve come to the right place! Each day from now through Halloween day, I’ll post about a movie or TV show that is emblematic of the season, free of slashing, spurting, or exorcising. The only requirements are thus: it must be available on a major streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or Disney Plus), and it mustn’t be a well-known blockbuster. Sorry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Entry 5- Agatha Christie’s Marple (2004-2013)
Rain engulfs the night sky and wind howls through the air, only to be upstaged by a flash of lightning, illuminating the silhouette of a figure standing just outside of an old British mansion. A lamp crashes to the floor. A woman lets out a final shriek for help. Then nothing. Nothing until the body is discovered the next morning. Such a heinous crime calls for the best detective that can be found. Who should be called? A tall, strapping PI who’s on the rise? Maybe a renowned detective with a crime-busting resume stretching decades long? No, in Agatha Christie’s Marple, the task of solving the unsolvable murder belongs to a sweet, unassuming old woman.
Marple takes form as an episodic tv show, with each episode telling the entire story of 1 mysterious murder that Miss Marple attempts to solve. This kind senior citizen may come off as an innocuous member of an investigation, but her eye is more keen than it may seem, and every trite question she asks is packed with deduction. As Marple observes a new cast of suspects trying to navigate post-World War II life, she learns of lies told, secrets kept, and corruption buried deep beneath the surface. Each case comes with its own series of enthralling twists and turns, always building towards a sensational reveal.
Marple sets itself apart from other crime mystery tv shows and enters the hall of great Halloween watches based on both its unsettling atmosphere and its knack for building tension. Many police procedurals and detective programs involve murder mystery, but the way in which Marple slowly builds towards the murder and then brings in a frail old woman to clean up the mess invites a sense of palpable fear and stakes that other shows simply don’t have. The killer-on-the-loose premise of every episode is typically accompanied by a claustrophobic setting, providing a race against the clock element as well as the feeling that anyone could be the killer’s next victim at any point in time. These components create the thrills that we associate with scary movies without displaying any true horror on screen, making Marple a great Halloween watch, regardless of your feelings toward the horror genre.
Agatha Christie’s Marple is streaming now on Hulu.
Some of my favorite episodes include: 4:50 from Paddington (S1E3), At Bertram’s Hotel (S3E1), A Pocketful of Rye (S4E1), Muder Is Easy (S4E2), and The Blue Geranium (S5E3).
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