If you haven’t seen the murder-mystery series “Deadloch,” you’re missing out one of the most hilarious and creative shows on Prime Video.
Few series blend satire, screwball comedy and unexpected twists than this one-season Australian series that debuted in 2023 to great acclaim in its host country and around the world, reaching Prime Video’s top 10 TV Shows list in more than 165 countries and territories, including the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
Starring Kate Box (“Wentworth,” “Rake”) as Dulcie Collins and Madeleine Sami (“Double Parked,” “Golden Boy”) as Eddie Redcliffe, the series follows the two detectives on the hunt for a local who murdered a footie coach after his naked body is found washed ashore on the beach.
The show’s Tasmanian town could be seen as its own “character,” in fact: Drama has already begun brewing in Deadloch as its traditional blue-collar residents clash with a recent influx of queer women who have brought to the region performance art, noise-to-tail dining, and a love of denim suspenders.
What follows is a murder spree that is too inventive to spoil here.
What is 'Deadloch' about?
The comedy-mystery, created by writing duo Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney, begins as a satirical take on mysteries such as “Broadchurch” but ends up being a compelling thriller whose delectable twists and unexpected turns give it a layer of tension that keeps you clicking "next episode" over and over.
The humor shines thanks to its leads. Dulcie’s Box is unafraid to deliver blunt insults such as, “You're too tall to have a breakdown — you look like a sad air dancer."
Her vulgarity might make vanilla viewers blush but it never veers into Quentin Tarantino's territory of rapid-fire F-bombs. Instead, she’ll say something like, “The only reason I'd kick him out of bed would be to f--- him on the floor.”
Sami’s Redcliffe is more obnoxious albeit lovable — calling a junior constable “Big Eyes” instead of learning her name — and her ambition to close the case is matched by Dulcie’s own prowess as a keen-eyed detective.
The two coppers clash at first but part of the show’s warmth is seeing how they begin to find common ground on what inspires them to tackle complex crimes.
As much as you follow the Eddie-Dulcie partnership, you’re also introduced to a range of townsfolk who bring comedy gold to every scene starring their unique personalities.
There's the local priest who is passionate about his own crime drama screenplay, a self-centered forensic pathologist who can’t stop pitching TED Talks ideas and the town’s first female mayor who consistently worries the murders will scare off residents and visitors from attending a major festival that features a four-hour movie called "Poseidon’s Uterus."
Every character teaches you, too, a smattering of Aussie slang you’ll be tempted to drop in conversations and emails.
Why 'Deadloch' is worth a binge-watch
Colorful characters aside, “Deadloch” consistently plays around with the murder-mystery genre in such a smart and creative way that you’ll be reminded of how Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg perfectly skewed the horror-zombie stereotype with 2004’s “Shaun of the Dead.”
“Deadloch” was such a hit, a second season was green-lit, with production underway and the latest casting news from Variety revealing Luke Hemsworth as a crocodile wrangler. Could that announcement be more Australian?!
The show also has excellent repeat value. A second viewing will treat you to background slapstick and jokes on procedural dramas you may have missed the first time around. A third viewing might even compel you to hop on a flight to the southern coast of Tasmania, where the series was shot, just to see if those local residents have the same charm — and cheeky slang — you enjoyed while watching “Deadloch.”
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