Harlan Coben, king of the thriller novel, is no stranger to having his gripping stories turned into twisty and suspenseful spectacles for the small screen. In recent years, fans have seen the likes of Missing You, Fool Me Once and Stay Close adapted into binge-worthy TV shows. However this new project, Lazarus, is a different beast.
A departure from his usual format, Coben penned this new thriller specifically for television. The famous author previously revealed (via Radio Times) that he saw it more for television. As it's "more of a ghost story" it was a "very visual" prospect. And in that respect, the creators' efforts with Lazarus – streaming now on Prime Video – have paid off.
The new six-part series follows forensic psychologist Joel Lazarus (Sam Claflin) who returns home when his psychiatrist father, Dr. Jonathan Lazarus (Bill Nighy), unexpectedly dies. While attempting to make sense of his father's death, Joel begins to experience a disturbing phenomenon whereby he is able to converse with Jonathan's deceased patients, all of whom have been murdered.
This strange occurrence begins to connect the dots between his father's death and that of his twin sister's, 25 years prior, with a desperate and despairing Joel caught in the thick of it all.
Coben has really leaned into the eerie spectacle of it all, creating a mind-bending, out-of-body experience for Joel. This visual replicates the uncertainty and dread that the character is feeling, in a way that is more tangible for the viewer to grasp.
Visual queues such as this are an important part of the storytelling in Lazarus, and help to build the spooky atmosphere effectively. Camera movement suddenly picks up speed, racing down the hall towards Joel's father's office, only to then stop abruptly. There's a blue filter covering the room in an ethereal lens, and off kilter music that is provocatively eerie. Though a little bold and in your face, it stops short of being hammy and does actually work well.
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However, despite the effort that's been poured into creating an enigmatic atmosphere, none of this compensates for the disappointment that the characters feel one dimensional. They go no deeper than the set of circumstances they are experiencing in the moment, and because of that it is difficult to connect to them.
The show tries to infuse them with certain traits to paper over the fact that there isn't much substance. Joel's younger sister Jenna Lazarus (Alexandra Roach) being spiritual and practising reiki is a failed attempt at offering some depth; her passion fails to feel like a grounded part of who she actually is.
Teenager Aidan (Curtis Tennant) is the exception to this. His curious nature and persistent intrigue in his mother's ex-husband, serves to make you more curious about him. As does his trouble fitting in with his peers, or even his family.
Tennant gives a captivating performance, and Bill Nighy, of course, pops up to give an arresting performance, so too does Claflin.
It is a strange experience watching someone deliver an intense and jittering rendition of a man that is both losing himself and finding himself in the experience of grief, only to simultaneously feel emotionally removed from the character. However Claflin is brilliant, and is part of the reason you'll want to stick around until the end.
The other reason is down to the undeniably gripping mystery that Coben's shows are so deft at creating. The creator, once again, takes your hand and leads you down an impossible path, one that provides more questions than answers.
Viewers can reliably sink their teeth into the twists and turns that propel you forward as the story develops. We just hope the pay off will be worth it.
All episodes of Lazarus are available to stream now on Prime Video.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
