A 'must-watch' murder mystery that is ideal for Agatha Christie enthusiasts is now available to stream for free. The unique crime drama, titled 'This Is Not A Murder Mystery,' follows a group of young Surrealist artists in the 1930s. The Belgian English-language series is currently available on Channel 4 after its initial airing last year.
Plot and Setting
Set in a lavish country estate in England, the story sees a collection of famous artists finding themselves trapped with a serial killer. The cast includes Pierre Gervais as Rene Magritte, Inaki Mur as Salvador Dali, Florence Hall as Lee Miller, Frank Rourke as Man Ray, and Mike Hoffman as Max Ernst.
The synopsis, inspired by Magritte's 'The Treachery of Images' painting, reads: 'Crime drama set in the flamboyant 1930s, following a group of young Surrealist artists, including Dali and Magritte, who are trapped in a lavish mansion with a serial killer on the loose.'
Audience Reception
Viewers have been captivated by the period drama. One person wrote: 'This series is a delightful and stylish twist on the classic whodunit. Set in the opulent 1930s with a gathering of legendary surrealist artists, it plays masterfully with suspense and visual flair.' They added: 'For anyone looking for an intelligent drama wrapped in atmosphere and intrigue, this series is a must-watch.'
Another viewer branded it 'worth watching,' while someone else called it 'charming.' When the trailer was released, fans expressed excitement, with one saying: 'This looks *rilly* good,' and another adding: 'This looks fun!'
One fan commented: 'I'm so glad Agatha Christie-ish stories have taken ahold of media for now. It's such a fun genre.' Another viewer remarked: 'I've been itching for another story like this ever since Knives Out came out years ago! And I'm also really excited to see a cast where I don't recognize anyone—I'm sick of Hollywood only casting the same "trendy" actors in roles they're ill-suited for, so this is a nice chance to see other talent shine!'
Production Insights
Producers Kristoffel Mertens and Elly Vervloet spoke to Variety about turning their surrealist idea into reality. Mertens said: 'It started as the typical cliché idea that goes around in production companies. Everyone is very enthusiastic about it, but at the same time we would never be able to make it. Yet for this one, it remained with us and we kept going back to it, so in the end, we thought we could try to at least get it into development. And it turns out that "This is Not a Murder Mystery" became one of the biggest shows ever made in Flanders.'
Vervloet added: 'It's definitely the biggest series we have ever done. We usually commission Flemish series for our local audience, creating a mix of domestic series and high-end TV shows as well. But at that level, it becomes a matter of dreaming big, being bold, and daring to make this choice as a public broadcaster to bring this English-spoken series to our audience and beyond.'
'This Is Not A Murder Mystery' is now available to watch on Channel 4.
