Hautnah - The Hill Method (Season 5) - DVD

Content: It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, Robson Green sang his way into the hearts of his fans, first on the drama series "Soldier Soldier" and then later on CD, along with his colleague Jerome Flynn. Their version of "Unchained Melody" was one of the biggest hits in the UK charts in the early 90s, selling almost two million CDs. The great role of forensic psychologist Dr. Tony Hill has nothing to do with the happy and wholesome pop world of yesteryear. From 2002 to 2008, Green played the idiosyncratic Dr. Hill a total of 24 times before the popular series was cancelled due to excessive production costs. The penultimate season, which was first broadcast in England in 2007, is now being released on DVD in Germany. In four new, first-class produced episodes, the analyst imagined by successful author Val McDermid may once again show his best side.

The episodes:

The Trail to Nowhere:Little Janita has been kidnapped. Police know the girl's chances of survival are dwindling by the minute. But the more intensively Dr. Tony Hill deals with the case, the more inconsistencies reveal themselves to the psychologist. New twists and turns keep "The Trail to Nowhere" suspenseful until the very last minute. The resolution is as terrifying as it is original.

The Power of Scratch: The murder of two children presents Dr. Tony Hill with a difficult task. Everything points to this being a case of ritual murder, which leads Hill and DI Alex Fielding (Simone Lahbib) on the trail of no less than three suspects. The investigation plunges Hill into a world of witchcraft and voodoo that could also prove dangerous for the investigators. "The Power of Horror" skillfully mixes the cruelty of reality with small traces of the supernatural. The weakest episode in the set, but still a damn good thriller.

A GREAT CAREER: The murders of two women suggests clear similarities to other female murders committed in other European cities several years ago. Evidence is mounting that the killer is from Bradfield and may finally be caught here. But the murderer and rapist is not so easily convicted.

In this episode, both the nasty ending to the case proper and the disturbing outcome of the subplot involving a young patient of Dr. Hill's come as a surprise. As a result, "A Cruel Career" lingers even longer and once again underpins the series' high level of suspense.

DEADLY COMPETITION: The murder of an elderly woman leads Bradfield police to once again turn to Dr Hill for help. Quickly, Hill is able to create a profile of the perpetrator, based on which several suspects from the area are immediately identified. But as quickly as one of the suspects can be identified as a possible perpetrator, Hill and the police officers must realize that the case is not so easy to solve, because soon the next crime happens.

DI Alex Fielding must also make an important decision that could affect not only her professional career. And also the appearance of an old friend of Dr. Hill does not really make her life easier...

"Deadly Competition" fascinates from the beginning by a disturbing atmosphere and by the always surprising story. Thus, this episode again leaves a lasting impression and a pleasant sinking feeling in the stomach area.

The four new cases, which are solved according to the Hill method, are cleverly constructed, intensely acted and engagingly staged. The series also impresses by venturing into taboo subjects beyond well-trodden crime fiction paths. The gloomy mood, the good scripts and the confidently acting lead actor make the fifth (and penultimate) season of the British crime series to an absolute must for all lovers of high thrills.

Picture + Sound: The four new episodes of the popular crime series sometimes present themselves in good TV quality, in other moments, especially in the visual area are clearly discernible shortcomings. The reduced, sometimes very cool color scheme underlines the atmosphere of the series. The overall sharpness is satisfactory for a TV production, but there are some weak points in the darker scenes. Particularly at the beginning of DVD 2, the whole thing comes across as very grainy and washed out, and doesn't really live up to the standard of a fairly recent TV production. There are also clear differences in the colours between DVD 2, for example, where these are clearly reduced, and DVD 4, where rather strong colours dominate right at the beginning.

In the German sound, the dialogues are well understandable, but somewhat muffled. Ambient sounds are almost completely swallowed up. In the English soundtrack, dialogue and ambient sounds form a much more harmonious whole, but the events here, due to the lack of subtitles, only open to those viewers who are very well versed in the English language.

Extras: Except for trailers from the provider on the fourth disc, there are unfortunately no extras on the four DVDs.

Conclusion: "Skin Close - The Hill Method" is an exciting, superbly produced crime series that once again demonstrates the high quality of British crime fare. The DVDs of the four new cases of the fifth season are technically mostly on a good TV level, only the lack of subtitles and bonus material has a negative impact here. Absolutely recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp