This 4-Part HBO Miniseries Is One of the Greatest Crime Shows of the 21st Century

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David Thewlis looking off into the distance in a cell with his hands on his lap in Landscapers

Published Feb 26, 2026, 8:33 AM EST

Thomas Butt is a senior writer. An avid film connoisseur, Thomas actively logs his film consumption on Letterboxd and vows to connect with many more cinephiles through the platform. He is immensely passionate about the work of Martin Scorsese, John Ford, and Albert Brooks. His work can be read on Collider and Taste of Cinema. He also writes for his own blog, The Empty Theater, on Substack. He is also a big fan of courtroom dramas and DVD commentary tracks. For Thomas, movie theaters are a second home. A native of Wakefield, MA, he is often found scrolling through the scheduled programming on Turner Classic Movies and making more room for his physical media collection. Thomas habitually increases his watchlist and jumps down a YouTube rabbit hole of archived interviews with directors and actors. He is inspired to write about film to uphold the medium's artistic value and to express his undying love for the art form. Thomas looks to cinema as an outlet to better understand the world, human emotions, and himself.

Miniseries have always been a staple of the television medium. Free of the weighty commitment of an episodic series but with more creative leeway than a stand-alone feature film, the format brought a unique appeal to TV during the heyday of the prestige television boom. The era's principal figure, HBO, was responsible for several iconic miniseries, such as Angels in America and John Adams.

HBO's Bizarre Crime Drama 'Landscapers' Is an Acting Showcase for Olivia Colman and David Thewlis

Landscapers, created by Ed Sinclair and directed by Will Sharpe, was already set up for excellence with the casting of its two leads, Cannes Best Actor winner David Thewlis and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, who is also Sinclair's wife. The stars of Naked and The Favourite play a couple, Christopher and Susan Edwards, in this pitch-black crime dramedy who become the focus of a bizarre investigation when two dead bodies are found in the garden of their home in England. The corpses in the yard? Susan's own parents, William and Patricia Wycherley. The motivation behind these grisly and unfathomable crimes is scrutinized by the police investigators, revealing unsettling sources of familial trauma and the dark side of the couple's romantic relations.

Being such dynamic performers, Colman and Thewlis seamlessly navigate the intricate tonal balance demanded by Sinclair and Sharpe. Between their respective work with Yorgos Lanthimos and Mike Leigh, the two English actors have a distinct comedic timing that feels lived-in and naturalistic, and they are blessed with an uncanny ability to modulate their humor with tenderness and melancholy. Unfairly snubbed of Emmy nominations, Colman and Thewlis lean into the enigmatic aura of the Edwards couple without compromising their humanity.

'Landscapers' Is an Epic Exploration of Psychological Turmoil and Humanity

People don't just transform into sociopaths overnight, and their performances evoke an honest effort to understand the Edwards before perpetrating awful acts. Combining the masterful prowess of Colman and Thewlis proved to be more magical than anyone imagined, as their chemistry allows Landscapers to thrive as an intimate dramedy and a Shakespearean tragedy. Their passion for movies and connecting with family fleshes these characters out beyond their murderous motivations. Like any great con artist, Susan and Chris lure you into believing that they have no culpability in these killings, and the performances of our leads emphasize the importance of being a con artist as a sociopath. The more you become susceptible to their charm and vulnerability, the more you're willing to delude yourself into buying their innocence.

Domhnall Gleeson in White House Plumbers

Landscapers soars above the pack of other ripped-from-the-headlines true crime shows thanks to its inventive visual language. Will Sharpe distorts the line between gritty docudrama and surrealist fantasy when capturing the emotionally fluctuating relationship between Susan and Chris. One minute, we're watching an escapist Hollywood romance, and then another minute, we watch life unfold as a sobering "kitchen sink" drama. Jumping from the present day to flashbacks of the couple's younger selves (graciously devoid of any digital de-aging), Landscapers is a study of memory and perspective. The tactile investigation and analytical approach to the murder contrasts with Susan's sentimental recollection of how her family collapsed. Sharpe's direction fills in the intimate character details and reflections of the peculiar tendencies of humanity that are glossed over by the exploitative media anytime they get their hands on a lurid story like this.

In an age cluttered with trashy true-crime shows and podcasts that loosely chronicle events without much psychological interrogation, Landscapers' experimental streak will feel refreshing for all audiences, as its artful vision will not feel alienating to mainstream viewers. Decades earlier, this would've made for a prestigious feature film built for Oscar consideration, but since the media landscape has changed, this story had room to expand and ruminate on its thorny character stakes. Olivia Colman and David Thewlis are always winning actors, but when paired together, rote subjects such as suburban crime and media sensationalism become profound studies of anthropology.