A child is dead. A close-knit neighbourhood is in shock. The man that found the body is the main suspect. Secrets & Lies is so compelling it will grab you by the collar and drag you in from the opening moments of the very first episode.
Ben Gundelach (Martin Henderson) is a family man. His daughters would baby sit young Thom Murnane (Hunter Stratton Boland) while his mum Jess (Adrienne Pickering) was still at work of an afternoon – her husband Paul (Ben Lawson) is a career soldier and so is often away. When Ben discovers Thom’s body on his morning run the shock isn’t contained to the loss of a little boy he knows; his life starts to spin out of control as Detective Sargeant Ian “The Vulture” Cornielle (Anthony Hayes) exerts significant pressure on him as the State’s number one suspect. As the investigation unfolds though the street reveals everybody has their own secrets and lies…
This stunning six part thriller drama set in Brisbane sets a new standard for the genre. The calibre of the script, the cast, the audio, the cinematography – all blends together to deliver an incredible, gripping story. In filming the reveal of whodunnit was kept from the cast during rehearsals so as to surprise them for the filming of the scenes and this adds to the depth of detail and strength of what is delivered by Brisbane production company Hoodlum.
Adding layers to the production are the multiplatform integration for the show across Ten’s partner Zeebox and a website set up specifically for the series offering tidbits of deeper information about the characters, including weekly additions of their police interviews, to help viewers work through the gathered evidence and help solve the crime. The performances in these “extra web bits” are as good as that in the series – a sign the website wasn’t an afterthought but an important part of the entire package.
To help the series get a foothold, the first episode has been published on TenPlay for people to watch now.
Secrets & Lies is captivating television. No one cast member can be singled out as all the performances are rock-solid. Even the kids deliver well above their age and experience. Hayes, Henderson, Glenn, Pickering… the central four’s characterisations are layered and complex, reflecting the strength of the script. This is a series not to be missed as it’ll be the best Australian drama you’ll see in 2014.
Secrets & Lies (6 eps) – Mon 8:30pm, Ch10.