Review: 'Bang'

One of the surprising success stories of the streaming television era is the growth in popularity in America of international crime dramas. Particularly Scandinavian dramas such as "The Bridge," "Borgen" and "The Killing," which have effectively used the region's landscape and distinctive culture as an integral part of the story. 

That success has increased the desire of other countries and regions to create similarly distinctive dramas and there are few efforts as memorable and unusual as the Welsh crime drama "Bang," which premieres in the U.S. Monday on the streaming service Acorn.

When I spoke with Roger Williams, "Bang’s" creator, writer and executive producer, earlier this year, he described the show as "the story of a brother, a sister and a gun." And while that's technically true, the story that unfolds is much more complex and nuanced.

The series begins with a young boy named Sam Jenkins. He's on the beach watching his father surf and when his father is unexpectedly shot by hooded gunmen, his life is changed forever. Fast forward to twenty years later and the reverberations of that shot can still be seen in the lives of Sam (Jacob Ifan) and his sister Gina (Catrin Stewart). Their mother's second marriage was to an abusive Scottish property developer, so Sam escaped and moved in with his Grandmother (played by Gillian Elisa). He's now in his late twenties, with a dead-end job, no girlfriend and the inability to stand up for himself. He's a weak, broken man and if you've ever seen a crime show, you know it's only a matter of time until someone comes along to take advantage of him.

The evil comes in the form of Sam's new neighbor Rhys Morris (Matthew Aubrey) and his girlfriend Mel. Sam is drawn to her dangerous sexuality hidden in a grunge outfit and when she comes to him asking if he'll hide a package for her, you can see the train hurtling towards him to run him down. Of course, the package contains a gun and she knows no one will suspect Sam. He's not just weak, he lives with his Grandmother and his sister is a hard-nosed and ambitious police officer. But the gift of a gun has an unforeseen impact on Sam, as it helps push him into a haphazardly dangerous attempt to be a criminal. 

There are a lot of twists coming over the course of the season's eight episodes and while I can't say more without spoiling some plot points, I can reassure you that everything will become clear by the time it's all over.

I also have to mention one of the core creative decisions made by the producers of "Bang." The show features dialogue that is often a mix of English and Welsh, which is apparently quite common in the Port Talbot area where the series is located. A lot of Americans likely aren't all that familiar with how Welsh sounds, so the consequence of mixing the languages is that it heightens the already substantial feeling that you're seeing glimpses of a life very different than what you'd experience in the United States.

I know there are a lot of places to watch international television and all of the choices can sometimes be overwhelming. But "Bang" is yet another reason why Acorn TV should be a "can't miss" destination for the best television from the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.  This is one of those shows that you'll find yourself bingeing without even planning to do so. So consider yourself warned.

"Bang" premieres on Acorn TV on Monday, October 15th, 2018.