The Sinner Pilot Episode Review (Tribeca Film Festival 2017)

A young mother is overcome by an inexplicable fit of rage and commits a startling act of violence. The event launches an inverted and utterly surprising crime thriller whose driving force is not the “who” or the “what,”—but the “why.” Soon the investigator finds himself obsessed with uncovering the woman's buried motive. The Sinner is a riveting psychological thriller, stylishly directed by acclaimed filmmaker Antonio Campos (Afterschool, Christine).

After the episode: A conversation with executive producer and director of the pilot Antonio Campos, executive producer Derek Simonds, executive producer and cast member Jessica Biel, and cast members Christopher Abbott and Bill Pullman. Moderated by Editor in Chief of Entertainment Weekly, Henry Goldblatt.

If there is a project that will define Jessica Biel as an actress it might be The Sinner. This is a Jessica Biel you haven't seen before and the show is off to a good start.  As describe in the synopsis Biel plays a young mother who commits an act of violence in which shocks everyone around her. Without entering into spoiler territory her actions seem to be motivated by something we will have to watch the series to find out. Biel’s character on the outside seems to have it all. She has a decent job, a loving husband played greatly by Christopher Abbott and a sweet little boy. The episode doesn’t focus heavy on the build up to the murder instead in the first ten minutes she commits the act. I found this approach works greatly for the show. When the murder happens, I felt the same way the extra’s and main characters did in the show. The murder is so random and out of nowhere that you’re genuinely shocked. What made this woman tick? Why did she kill this innocent man in broad daylight? There is this added mystery and great characterization on key characters that kept me going. One thing you have to know going in is the show is dark. This show is dark in tone, subject matter and even the murder was pretty brutal for USA. However, I think this dark tone and visuals adds to the dynamic of the characters and world we will be seeing. Jessica Biel character has to battle her demons and the choices she made. Bill Pullman character who is a detective in charge of the case is a very intriguing one. He is not really explored much in this episode. However, there is something not right about him. He seems to be a broken of man and who is hiding some secrets. There is one scene that had the audience asking what is wrong this guy.

Overall The Sinner is off to a great start. The first episode did its job of introducing the characters, the situation and has me hooked to see what happens next. This is a dark tone show with subject matter that focuses on the how and why someone will take a life. This episode always shows the effects of what happens to families when someone close does something like this. The direction and dialogue is great, the music fits the tone of the show and the acting is really good. Jessica Biel is truly owning this role and putting her stamp on it. This is one show I will check out later this year.

Final Rating 4.5/5

Check out pictures from the panel below.