Star (also known as Star+ in Latin America) is a content brand owned by Disney+ that has released foreign language content since 2021 and broke into English language television last year with Wedding Season. Though its series have yet to gain much traction, its six scripted shows on Hulu have just started gaining traction thanks to Faraway Downs, Baz Luhrmann’s episodic recut of his 2008 film, Australia. While that odd rehash was not critically well-received, Star’s latest premiere, Culprits, showed that more investment in this media hub might be a worthwhile endeavor.
‘Culprits’ Synopsis
British actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett stars in Culprits as Joe, a member of an old defunct heist crew that he has not associated with for years. Suddenly, the crew starts getting killed one by one, so Joe and his gang must reunite to determine who is targeting them and protect their post-criminal lives.
(Mostly) Character-Based Action Drama with Insane Twists
Every crime thriller, particularly one set around heists, involves exciting twists (usually multiple nowadays) to heighten the drama. Culprits luckily spends some time with the characters, not exactly making an impactful statement but at least reaching close to a Logan Lucky level of attachment. The racial tensions from Joe’s present-day situation add a layer of investment that some cheaper heist thrillers forget, and a fair amount of blood raises the temperature as well.
The effort put in to make Joe stand out as a character is admirable; his drama in balancing the sins of his past with present issues of being a good partner, step-dad, and community member propels the action enough to make Culprits a notch above mindless entertainment. The pacing matches the modern television trope of binge-watching over weekly releases, setting up characters over the first few episodes before moving the plot toward rousing territory. Even with flaws, Culprits is an easy time-filler over the empty winter weeks as the date officially changes to 2024.
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett in ‘Culprits’
Mileage of Heist Thrillers in 2023
This past year started with an inventive but disappointing heist experience: Netflix’s Kaleidoscope. Judging by Kaleidoscope‘s marker for heist quality in 2023, Culprits passes into worthwhile territory, especially after picking up steam later in the season. Incidentally, heist thrillers are a pattern-oriented genre that can quickly lose attraction for those looking for anything original. However, forgiving viewers looking for bright, adult thriller entertainment and heist fanatics will make it through Culprits with ease.
Next to other appealing new series from Star like The Clearing, The Artful Dodger, and Extraordinary, Culprits will soon be part of a growing banner that we should all not ignore. Even if the heist aspects of this series are not your cup of tea, another genre-steeped project from Star will make up for it.
Culprits is streaming now on Hulu.
