Set in misty, overcast Northern Wales, this BBC series from Hinterland creators Mark Andrew and Ed Talfan is another self-contained crime drama set in a remote rural community that is full of secrets. When the dead body of a young woman who was reported missing years before is discovered in Snowdonia National Park, DI Cadi John (Sian Reese-Williams)—a veteran detective who has taken a post back home after her career in the city—sees a pattern that suggests a serial kidnapper. The identity of the culprit is revealed early on, when the reclusive Dylan Harris (Rhodri Meilir), a single father with a bullying mother and anger issues, carries his next victim off to a basement prison in his remote farmhouse home. Hidden is less of a mystery than a procedural as the investigators try to find the kidnapper before another girl is killed. While DI John's younger partner (Sion Alun Davies) struggles with commitment issues as he prepares for marriage and fatherhood, John faces the failing health of her father, a retired cop. Moody, visually evocative, and serious, this is another show set in the small-town culture of a gloomy region, a veritable subgenre of British crime dramas that includes Broadchurch and The Loch. The rural Wales setting is more than visual flavor, however; this economically depressed region has left many people jobless, impoverished, and resentful, and the locals generally speak in their native Welsh (these scenes are subtitled). Compiling all eight episodes from 2018 first season, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette. A strong drama with fine performances that should appeal to fans of British crime shows, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Hidden: Series 1
RLJ, 3 discs, 477 min., not rated, DVD: $49.99
Hidden: Series 1
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