A new Philly-based thriller about a series of murders? You have our attention
Philadelphia’s gritty underbelly has since long sculpted it as the perfect backdrop for some of the most electrifying thrillers in literature and film. Whether it be M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout masterpiece The Sixth Sense or Brian De Palma’s conspiracy-laden thriller Blowout, Philadelphia doesn’t just set the scene for stories; it becomes the scene.
Even in thriller literature, the city looms over novels not just as a favorite backdrop, but as a living character. Like in Lisa Scottoline’s legal thrillers Final Appeal and Dead Ringer. In a piece of exciting news, one such riveting thriller novel set against the backdrop of Philadelphia’s gritty Kensington neighborhood, Long Bright River is poised to leap from the pages and come alive as a crime drama on television soon.
The series delves into a string of murders set against the backdrop of opioid crisis
The 2020 Liz Moore novel has been turned into a limited series directed by Hagar Ben-Asher for Peacock, with Nikki Toscano as the showrunner and actress Amanda Seyfried as the central character Mickey Fitzpatrick, a patrol officer navigating the streets of Kensington. The story picks up its plot after Mickey’s opioid-addict sister Kacey disappears amidst a series of murders in the neighborhood that seemed to target vulnerable women like her. The official synopsis of the series reads:
“Long Bright River is a suspense thriller series that tells the story of Mickey (Amanda Seyfried), a police officer who patrols a Philadelphia neighborhood hard-hit by the opioid crisis. When a series of murders begins in the neighborhood, Mickey realizes that her personal history might be related to the case.”
The adaptation transcends the typical murder mystery
Showrunner Toscano, who also serves as a writer and executive producer alongside the author Liz Moore, revealed how the adaptation “aims to deconstruct the ‘police as savior’ narrative'” while upending many more stereotypes. In an official note released by her, she revealed,
“What drew me in the most was the possibility of what this show could achieve in its ambition to upend stereotypes: of those born into poverty and addiction, of those engaging in sex work, of those who have been written off or marginalized after they’ve seemingly fallen through the cracks of their community, and finally, of those engaged in police work.”
The cast puts every ounce of their soul onto the screen
As for the talent that worked to bring this story to life, Nicholas Pinnock, Ashleigh Cummings, Callum Vinson, and John Doman appear as the main cast alongside Amanda Seyfried while Dash Mihok, Britne Oldford, Matthew Del Negro, Harriet Sansom Harris, Patch Darragh, Perry Mattfeld, and Albert DiCesare carry the story in supporting capacities.
And for Seyfried’s role, Toscano promised that her performance would break our hearts. “Cause this is Amanda like you’ve never seen her before – flawed and raw, tarred by guilt and shame and legacy, but never more compelling,” she shared.
Are you ready to see suspense and mystery flourish in this city once again? Philadelphia’s fabled cobblestone streets and shady industrial corners will come alive again on March 13, 2025, as Long Bright River premieres with all eight episodes on Peacock.
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