DVD Review: Prime Suspect 4 The Lost Child (Helen Mirren)

I first watched the Prime Suspect series as a teenager when it was on the TV. Recently I’ve been renting the series and it’s every bit as good as I remember, and then some. The stories are written by Lynda La Plante, and features exceptional acting by Helen Mirren.

I have watched the first 4 series and this is the one that really stands out in my mind. The programme covers a number of sensitive subjects. I can’t mention them all without spoiling the storyline, but it does tackle kidnapping, paedophilia and abortion.

The aspect of abortion is cover in a more abstract way, and in fact when I first saw it all those years ago I don’t think I would even have picked up on the significance. It was however the thing that it left me thinking about at the end. It didn’t try and change your viewpoint, but made you think about it more.

The story is based around the dissapearance of a baby, and the race against time to try and find the baby alive. With the irony that as a missing person investigation and they are trying to prevent a murder there is less police resource available than if it becomes a murder.

They put pressure on a local paedophile, but will that be counter productive by putting other children at even greater risk?

This is one of the most thought provoking DVDs that I’ve seen and it really engages you in the story. If you only watch one edition of Prime Suspect, then make it this one, and if you don’t want to buy it then why not rent it.