Netflix has quietly dropped a crime drama that deserves far more attention than it’s getting, and if you’re someone who lives for the slow burn of a well-crafted detective story, you need to stop what you’re doing and add MR MERCEDES to your queue immediately. Originally airing on the now-defunct Audience Network back in 2017, this adaptation of Stephen King’s Bill Hodges trilogy has finally found its way to streaming, bringing with it a 91 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and the kind of dark, methodical tension that makes truly great detective fiction unforgettable.
At its core, MR MERCEDES follows retired detective Bill Hodges, a man who should be enjoying his golden years but instead finds himself psychologically terrorized by the one case he couldn’t close. A serial killer begins sending him letters and emails, taunting him about a horrific crime in which a stolen Mercedes was deliberately driven into a crowd of innocent people. What starts as psychological warfare soon escalates into something far more dangerous, forcing Hodges out of retirement and into a crusade that blurs the line between justice and obsession. The Netflix description puts it simply but effectively: a retired detective haunted by a deadly unsolved crime hunting for the merciless killer behind an intentional act of mass violence.
What elevates MR MERCEDES beyond standard crime procedural fare is its cast, a collection of actors who bring genuine weight to material that could easily veer into melodrama in lesser hands. Brendan Gleeson, fresh off his acclaimed performance in THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, anchors the series as Hodges, delivering the kind of lived-in, weary performance that makes you believe every mistake and regret etched into his character’s past. Opposite him, Harry Treadaway from PENNY DREADFUL takes on the role of Brady Hartsfield, the killer whose cat-and-mouse game with Hodges forms the show’s dark heart. Holland Taylor, known for her work in TWO AND A HALF MEN, appears as Ida Silver, while Justine Lupe, who would later gain recognition in SUCCESSION, plays Holly Gibney, a character King fans will recognize as one of his most enduring creations.
Stephen King adaptations are notoriously hit or miss, with Hollywood’s track record ranging from the sublime to the unwatchable, but MR MERCEDES belongs firmly in the former category. The series understands what makes King’s crime writing work, the way he burrows into the psychology of both hunter and hunted, the unglamorous reality of detective work, and the toll that violence takes on everyone it touches. This isn’t a show about flashy forensics or last-minute twists, though it has its share of shocking moments. Instead, it’s about obsession, guilt, and the impossible question of whether you can ever really leave your work behind when your work involves staring into the darkest corners of human nature.
For anyone who’s been craving something with more substance than the typical Netflix true crime docuseries or formulaic procedural, MR MERCEDES offers something richer and more unsettling. It’s a show that takes its time, that lets tension build in the spaces between conversations, that trusts its audience to stay invested even when the pace slows to a crawl. The fact that it comes from King’s source material is almost a bonus, what matters is that it’s simply excellent television that somehow slipped under the radar during its original run and now deserves a second chance to find the audience it should have had all along.
Some ghosts don`t stay buried.
Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelbyun THE IMMORTAL MAN - older, greyer, and facing the legacy he left behind.
His son runs the Blinders now. His past won`t let him rest. One choice will change everything. 👑💔
Cinemas March 6 • Netflix March 20
More at irishfilmtv.com.
✨ EXCLUSIVE: Eve Hewson is heading back to Dublin.
Joining forces with acclaimed director Lenny Abrahamson, the Irish actress is set to star in a stunning new period drama that transports us to 1970s Dublin—a city pulsing with cultural complexity and untold stories.
The film will explore the vibrant Jewish community of the era, with Hewson joined by acclaimed English actor Tom Burke and breakthrough talent Shane Meagher. A reunion of Abrahamson`s trusted collaborators (hello, NORMAL PEOPLE magic ✨), this ensemble promises something truly special.
More Eve at irishfilmtv.com.
MOBLAND Season Two is underway!
Irish actors @piersmorgan and @scandalous_13 are back and this season promises to be something else entirely!
Season One made history as one of Paramount+`s biggest ever debuts, and if the word coming out of production is anything to go by, they`re not here to play it safe.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Liam Neeson returns to theatres in COLD STORAGE - the kind of film that makes you laugh, makes your skin crawl, and then makes you laugh again!
A 1979 NASA cover-up. An alien fungus sealed in a government vault. And two underpaid warehouse workers who just became humanity`s last hope.
Sharp. Funny. Genuinely unsettling. More Liam at irishfilmtv.com.
Brendan Gleeson returns to THE WEIR as cameras roll in Ireland, bringing Conor McPherson`s haunting stage masterpiece to the screen.
Fresh off a five-star West End run that WhatsOnStage called "staggeringly good," the entire acclaimed cast is back to capture the magic of this modern Irish classic.
More Brendan at irishfilmtv.com.
When Emerald Fennell texted @alisonjoliver about joining WUTHERING HEIGHTS, the answer was immediate: yes.
"I just love her so much that I would do anything she was doing," Oliver says about reuniting with Fennell after SALTBURN.
The film is now in theatres, more at irishfilmtv.com.
Barry Keoghan has arrived.
The Dublin actor who made us unable to look away in SALTBURN is now going head-to-head with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry in CRIME 101 — and he`s not just keeping up, he`s stealing scenes.
This isn`t just another role—this is Keoghan proving he belongs among Hollywood`s heaviest hitters, taking his Love/Hate juice straight to LA and reminding everyone that sometimes the hungriest actor in the room is the most dangerous one.
More Barry at irishfilmtv.com.
One man. Eight characters. Pure theatrical magic. ✨
Andrew Scott`s VANYA won Best Play Revival at the WhatsOnStage Awards after its triumphant West End run at the Duke of York`s Theatre and now tops the list of best one-man shows of recent times.
More Andrew at irishfilmtv.com.
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST drops Feb 12 on Netflix.
DERRY GIRLS star Saoirse Monica Jackson has been talking about the new series and her excitement is absolutely contagious.
Landing on Galentine`s Day feels perfect for this kind of ladies-celebrating-ladies energy.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
