When they’re good, BBC crime dramas are very good. This is the case with ‘Steeltown Murders‘ (2023), a 4-episode mini-series created by Ed Whitmore. The story is inspired by a real case, an investigation that took place in two stages separated by 29 years. The crimes committed in 1973 were initially investigated for many months, but in the end the cases, unsolved, were closed. In 2002, advances in investigative techniques based on DNA analysis confirmed a connection between two cases considered separate and the investigation was reopened. The perseverance of the detectives, two of whom had also been involved in the original investigation, led to the cases being solved.
The story takes place in Wales. In two different cases investigated by different police teams, three young girls are murdered and raped. The case traumatizes the victims’ families and the entire peaceful community of the small Welsh town. The young police officer Paul Bethell, who is part of one of the teams, suspects that the two crimes were committed by the same perpetrator, but his boss does not allow him to continue on this trail. The investigations, based on forensic techniques from the 1970s and on the interrogations of suspects and witnesses, lead to nothing. 29 years later, with the introduction of DNA tests, it becomes clear that it was the same criminal, possibly a serial killer and rapist. Paul Bethell asks to be entrusted with the investigation, but receives minimal resources (only two investigators). He will continue it and will get closer to the truth, with tenacity, also using the DNA technology that is in its infancy in forensics. He will also find some of the parents of the victims and witnesses from the past, still haunted by the trauma of the events, unreconciled because the cases had remained unsolved.
I’m used to BBC detective series, well-written, with plots that are related to the life of British towns or villages, with authentic characters leading seemingly banal lives, but who often hide dark secrets. The police officers in these series are also often more complex and interesting than in similar productions from other places. This is the case here, and the team of actors do a very well job, with a special mention for Philip Glenister, an actor I’ve appreciated in other television series as well. The film, made in 2023, takes us back to two different time periods – in 1973 and in 2002 – and does it with great precision and attention to detail, from hairstyles and mustaches to sets, cars and the music the heroes listen to (the one from 1973, obviously, is much better!). I would also like to mention the cinematography, aesthetic and expressive, and I think it is worth noting the name of the cinematographer – Sam Thomas. Bringing real cases to screen is a challenge for series creators. Many viewers may remember the denouement, so the lack of suspense related to the identity of the murderer has to be compensated. The human dimension of the tragedies behind the crimes is excellently exposed and at least as interesting as the cases themselves. ‘Steeltown Murders‘ is a series that is worth seeking out and watching.