Benedict Cumberbatch leads this strange thriller

“Eric is what we fear”, that’s how Eric sums up its titular life-size puppet. It exists in the imagination of Vincent Anderson (Benedict Cumberbatch), manifesting as his worst anxieties. The presence of the blue, fuzzy creature is a sign of Vincent’s declining mental health, which reaches a breaking point when his young son disappears. Netflixthe mini-series, which premieres May 30, uses this tragedy to reveal a myriad of personal, family and societal issues. It doesn’t do a great job of navigating all of its complexities evenly, but Eric is oddly compelling anyway thanks to its lead star.

Cumberbatch plays a grumpy, ironic puppeteer who has ruined every aspect of his life. Seriously, Vincent isn’t liked by everyone he meets because his ego is the size of the sun. The actor is no stranger to such extreme characters (Sherlock, The power of the dog), SO Eric is another outlet for him to swim in these waters. And to his credit, Cumberbatch delivers a touching performance as Vincent battles inner demons, dismantles pride, and deals with a range of feelings. He is the heart of the series until its (rather confusing) end.

But first, let’s start at the beginning. A revered puppeteer, Vincent pissed off everyone at his workplace, a Puppets-a children’s television show called Hello sunshine. In the meantime, his marriage to Cassie (Gaby Hoffmann) is in ruins. Their frequent loud arguments take a toll on their nine-year-old, Edgar (Ivan Howe), who struggles to bond with his father. He tries to achieve this by drawing a figure that he hopes Vincent will bring to life in the office. Edgar names his creation, you guessed it, Eric. So, when one morning the child disappears on the way to school, Vincent convinces himself that this puppet drawn by his son will one way or another bring him back.

It’s the start of a fanciful, moving and suspenseful saga for Vincent. He thinks he’s a lone wolf because no one believes his theories about Edgar. However, he continually gets drunk and pushes everyone away, so his only companion lives entirely in his head. Eric (his subconscious) follows Vincent through the streets and tunnels of Manhattan, gnawing at him about his ignorance and callousness. Why didn’t Vincent drop Edgar off as planned? Why did he scold his son so often? The bizarre visuals of Cumberbatch confronting, dancing or chatting with a toothy sidekick are reminiscent of Showtime. Happy, with Chris Meloni. Here too, an eccentric situation opens the way to a meditative story about remorse and intergenerational trauma.

Eric dwells on Vincent’s poor relationship with his own wealthy parents and how the cycle inevitably continues with Edgar. The six hour-long episodes are powerful when focusing on this shitty dynamic. Likewise, it’s moving to see Cassie grappling with a parental nightmare. Shocked by Edgar’s disappearance, she also tries to take matters into her own hands. Hoffmann’s performance is equally haunting as she confronts her character’s pain and helplessness.

The other major piece of this puzzle is NYPD Detective Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III), one of the only cops dedicated to finding Edgar and another missing child, a black teenager who doesn’t get the same attention from the media or the police. Through it, series creator Abi Morgan examines the larger issues surrounding homophobia, homelessness, and political corruption in 1980s New York. Eric taps into its very specific setting with excellent production and set design, and the show’s grimy alleyways and dark underground passages form a stark contrast to the dynamism of Hello sunshine and the whole Eric thing.

However, in juggling these subjects, Eric shifts from a serious psychological thriller to a predictable morality mystery at the expense of building up Michael as a secondary protagonist. He has his own problems, including the loss of a loved one and virtually no support at work. Despite these similar circumstances, he is the opposite of Vincent and their approaches are very different. This duality makes for a compelling character study, and Belcher III’s gentle expressiveness is a great parallel to Cumberbatch. Unfortunately, the last two episodes opt for a timely but generic story.

Eric doesn’t maintain its momentum but it still offers enough tension, heightened emotions and great performances. There’s a chance this will get lost in today’s television landscape. (The onslaught of Netflix content doesn’t help, nor does the constant stream of true crime watch, Detective novelsAnd atmospheric dramas which seem to go unnoticed.) So while Eric isn’t perfect, its melancholy, sense of place, and general strangeness are definitely worth it.

Eric premieres May 30 on Netflix