'Bodyguard' Is A Beautiful Show in Every Way
Bodyguard is a six-episode political conspiracy thriller written by British Writer Jed Mercurio, that first aired on BBC in the UK and has quickly became a sensation, being one of Britain’s highest rated and most watched TV show in years. Now that it hit Netflix we can see why; the show has some of the best writing in any drama on Netflix with so many amazing characters to love and crazy twists that no one would see coming.
Bodyguard follows a war veteran, David Budd played by Game of Thrones star Richard Madden, who works for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service, as he tries to protect the Home Secretary, Julia Montague played by Keeley Hawes. A controversial conservative politician, she has been the target of criticism and threats because of a plan that would allow security forces to search citizens’ phones for specific words that could deem someone a threat. After attempts are made on her life, Budd begins to investigate and quickly learns that the case is far more complicated then he may have thought, and that those around him cannot be trusted.
One of the strongest elements of this show is the way that the cinematography and framing of each scene sets the tone for the moment. This can be seen even within the first 20 minutes of the first episode. When Budd has to work hard to convince a suicide bomber to calm down and let them defuse the bomb, they make amazing use of camera shot choices to intensify every moment of the scene and they combine this with a powerful audio that lowers the actual sounds and brings up the music, or uses the absence of any sound in order to really make you feel the intensity of the moment. They also slow down certain moments within a scene to heighten the intensity of the moment. This kind of amazing camera work can also be seen in another moment when a sniper takes an attempt on Montague and the way they use the camera and audio makes it one of the most intense moments in the entire show.
A part of the show that makes it so compelling to watch is the way the characters are portrayed. Both Budd and Montague are such well developed characters with a lot of depth to each of them. Budd, being a hardened ex-veteran is portrayed as being very quiet with his only priority being his job. While Montague is a cold politician, she is portrayed as being very manipulative and stern in what she says. The two characters are used to being in charge so when they first meet, they don’t like each other. The way the two characters interact with each other in intimate moments further flushes out the way both characters are rigid and manipulative. Budd tries to get information from her to give to his employer while Montague lies and tricks him. However, even with the way the two are manipulating one another, the chemistry on screen between the two of them is so strong, that the relationship feels real and makes you care about both characters more.
The show also does an amazing job of delving into David Budd’s psyche. From the very beginning of the show we learn that Budd has PTSD from his time in the army Though we don’t have any flashbacks we can tell that his time in the army was very hard on him. Then as more and more negative things weigh down on his shoulders, like the loss of a friend, the strain of being separated from his wife as well as the realization that he can’t trust anyone, he begins to unravel and become less and less stable as the audience can see the descent of Budd’s sanity. All of this is made even stronger by the addition of amazing acting skills by Richard Madden. Madden gives an amazing performance making every second so real that when Budd has a breakdown, you can see the tears swell up in his eyes and you can feel the feelings that he feels. You can see the struggle in his face as he portrays himself as someone who’s dealt with so much and can’t take it anymore.
BBC’s Bodyguard is one of the best shows to have hit Netflix. It also is easy to binge all at once since there are only six episodes. With characters that are so compelling you want to know everything that happens to them, cinematography that adds a new level of emotions to every scene, and a story that is well written, with twists around every corner, the show will keep audiences on the edge of their seats every step of the way.
