Culprits, on Hulu

Are you in the mood for some flashbacks? Joe Petrus is not—not in the least. He thought he had started a whole new life, but apparently his old life is not done with him yet. Somebody is killing the crew that pulled off an incredibly messy heist in London, so it is only a matter of time before they come looking for him and the family he hopes to marry into. Logically, he needs to find them first in creator-co-director J Blakeson’s 8-episode Culprits, which premieres Friday on Hulu.

During the “then” segments, Petrus’s legal name was David Marking, but those involved in the caper were supposed to only know him as “Muscle.” The mastermind, Dianne Harewood, a.k.a. “Brain” gave them all codenames, like in Reservoir Dogs, but they were all descriptive of their respective roles. “Officer” is a con artist who was impersonating a cop. “Driver” drove the getaway vehicle. “Cracker” and his granddaughter “Greaseman” were responsible for opening an incredibly rare and complex old school vault. Even though Muscle was the muscle, when things got sticky, which they did, the borderline psychotic “Specialist” was responsible for shooting their way out.

Even though the survivors got away with a lot of cash, it was a bloodbath in the secret vault. It is therefore not shocking that someone would be very cross with them. However, Muscle learns Brain might have used the crew to pilfer a secret, much more valuable target. Rather awkwardly, she is now presumed dead. To find it, Muscle teams up with his remaining accomplices, while eluding Demon, the stone cold ultra-Nordic assassin pursuing them.

The time shifts can give viewers whiplash, but the way Blakeson employs the flashbacks to reveal secrets and context largely justifies their liberal usage. You just have to accept Culprits is going to be one of those kind of hipster heist thrillers. The capery/revenge stuff also works quite well. Unfortunately, the time-sucking melodrama involving Muscle’s fiancé Jules and his kids is a chore to endure. How many times do we have to listen to Jules whine “I can’t trust you Joe when you keep all these secrets from me?”

When Muscle sticks to kicking butt, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett makes a solid action lead. Nevertheless, Niamh Algar constantly outshines and outguns him as Inga Beatrice, a.k.a. Specialist. She might be a reckless sociopath, but Algar’s performance really grows on you. Gemma Arterton (who starred in Blakeson’s under-rated The Disappearance of Alice Creed) has never been cooler than she is here as the cerebral super-villain Brain, while Eddie Izzard reliably chews the scenery when he finally shows up in the third act, as the flamboyant evil string-puller.

Frankly, Culprits is far more brutal than your average heist thriller, but that is partly why it works. Its best moments approach the intensity of Gangs of London, but it cannot sustain those highs as successfully. Still, all the scheming, fighting, and double-crossing are quite entertaining. Recommended for caper fans, Culprits starts streaming Friday (12/8) on Hulu.