The Fear Index

But instead of Jason Statham we have Josh Harnett running around like a headless chicken having an episode. It's weird too with cannibalism. Non of the side characters are remotely interesting. The story did not pay off in the end and I regret watching it.

The production has had some money spent on it so we get great houses and shots of Geneva with the water jet. Just like the start of the Champions.

The story starts a bit slowly with the initial scenes feeling wooden and contrived. Really, Hoffmans briefing to investors should have been the opening scene. Because I was waiting for the exposition for far too long.

The supporting actors, just didn't have much to work with. As a result the cop's interest in Hoffman is not explained. There is no reason for it. Quite the contrary. He has other work to do.

The story just plods along. Frankly I didn't care enough to stick with it.

Whereas most series these days try and squeeze 10 hours or more from one story - Netflix I'm looking at you...

This show is done in three. Enough time to keep you guessing without spoon feeding you the explanation.

Josh Hartnett was a much better actor than I'd previously thought and his partner was good value for money too.

Not enough time for the rest of the cast but they really did do some snappy editing.

Use a Latin translator for more enjoyment.

I devoured the whole series in an afternoon. That wouldn't make a dent on some series.

Another short self-contained box set series, and The Fear Index is an adaption from a curious modern financial thriller.

From the off, I have previously read the novel by the ever reliable Robert Harris but it was many years ago and I have to admit I found that I'd forgotten much of what had happened. Nevertheless I have a certain bias as I did enjoy the book and noticed some differences but not necessarily enough to derail this.

Despite that, I was kind of disappointed. There's no denying the authenticity of the settings and look of the show but it's TV drama, and the actors chosen for the roles just did not convince me they fitted the parts. With all due respect some of them were clearly in over their heads in this one, in particular the wife and the business partner.

The storyline does move at a great pace but really they struggled to capture the tension, and I don't want to give away anything so have to stop there.

It's a shame. I get the feeling this would have made a better 2 hour film in the hands of a seasoned director with a bigger budget. It worked brilliantly with the Ghost Writer which was another book by the same author with Brosnan & McGregor in the lead roles.

This is disappointing. Not by any means unwatchable, but in my opinion a really missed opportunity.

My recommendation: skip this, read the book. If you want to watch a decent Robert Harris adaptation, try "Munich: Edge of War" on Netflix instead.

Ham-fisted direction, limp dialogue, wooden acting, over the top sound track all conspire to ruin what could have been a great thriller.

Having the lead run around pointlessly, full of angst, accompanied by loud thumping music is not a substitute for dramatic tension.