A year after his wife's murder, the perpetrator has still not been found. Alex Cross does not rest until he is found, but in the Cross series he also has to deal with a major mysterious murder case. Two couples are sitting together on a terrace when the women decide to go to the toilet. The men stay behind but then suddenly hear a gun shot. People run away in panic, but the men run towards the sound. One of them's world stands still when he finds his wife covered in blood on the floor. She was shot. This is the start of the crime thriller Cross, which was released this month on Amazon Prime Video.
Cross clearly wants to create a dark atmosphere.
Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge, Underground) loses his wife that fateful day. A year later the story continues. As a single father, he has his life back in reasonable order, although the loss of his wife has clearly left its mark. Her killer has still not been caught and a reason for the shooting has not yet been found. As he is about to request a leave of absence from his job as a police officer, he is called to assist on a high-profile case. A local activist is found dead and Alex is asked to find out what happened.
Cross clearly wants to create a dark atmosphere. They do this well with the scenes and storylines, but they seem to go a bit too far. The image is very dark, too dark at times, making it sometimes difficult to see what is happening. Fortunately, the story is compelling enough that this detail is not too distracting. The first episode is an hour long and a lot happens in that time. As a viewer you immediately know where you stand and the small preview at the end of the first episode shows that there are many more exciting moments to come.
The activist's death initially appears to be a drug overdose. Alex soon discovers with his best friend and partner John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa, Shadowhunters) that it is no ordinary overdose but a murder. This greatly irritates the police chief who wants the case resolved quickly. The police are facing a lot of opposition from groups that are calling for budget cuts and are now accusing the police of involvement in the victim's death. Yet Alex stands firm and not much later we as viewers discover that the matter is much bigger than it initially seems.
The series is based on the Alex Cross books by James Patterson, which have inspired many readers and filmmakers for over 30 years. Cross is set in Washington DC and it is clear that the makers wanted to create not only an exciting but also a social story. Black Lives Matter and racism in the US play an important role and attention is paid to life in the poorer neighborhoods of the city. The series has been in development for a long time and there is a lot of confidence in its success. A second season was announced even before the first was online.
Despite the somewhat unoriginal theme, the trailer appealed to me and the first episode did not disappoint.
Alex Cross has quite a reputation. The FBI is interested in him and they are even trying to recruit him. However, his family is a reason for him to continue working in the police force. With the help of his grandmother (Juanita Jennings, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns), he raises his children now that his wife is gone. They are also still having a hard time with the loss of their mother. Still, there is some room for a new love in Alex's life, although this relationship has its ups and downs.
Of course, numerous crime series have already been made, so in that respect the subject of the Cross series is not exactly unique. At several points Cross reminded me of Criminal Minds: Evolution and S.W.A.T. (2017). The fact that Alex Cross is a graduated forensic psychologist has something to do with this, but also the grim way of telling the story and attention to the problems with the police within the black community. Despite the somewhat tired theme, the trailer appealed to me and the first episode did not disappoint. It is therefore extra nice that the entire first season is already online so I can immediately continue watching the rest of the series.
