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Chemistry of Death is a new six-part drama starting with two kids making a grim discovery in the woods, as they stumble across a bizarre body that looks like a person crossed with a bird. Yep, I didn’t understand it, either. They describe it as an angel, however, and we can see from the coroner’s post-mortem that it’s the body of a young woman.
Local GP and forensic anthropologist, from the village surgery, David Hunter (Harry Treadaway – Star Trek Picard) checks the lads’ health with a view to offering counselling, before we cut to aerial shots of the crime scene and David’s monologue: “Within 4 mins of death, the body starts to decompose. The beginning of a transformation which continues long after the heart has stopped. As putrefaction causes the body’s own bacteria to destroy itself, nutrients are released, becoming a feast for a multitude of other organisms… Death is a new beginning” etc. etc.
Having watched three episodes of this and without giving away any spoilers, more people disappear, while David’s a very wordy doctor as he gives narration, which is a bit po-faced, with phrases like: “Even the dead deserve justice”.
Given what I thought was Australian accents coming the mouths of some characters, including Jenny Krause (Jeanne Goursand) – the actress being German, yet could be attempting Aussie, I thought this was set over there, but no, it’s meant to be England, apparently.
So far, with jump scares no-one asked for, plus a completely preposterous revelation in episode 3, basically, Chemistry of Death plays out like a Nordic Noir drama, but without the feel of what makes them Nordic Noir.
Chemistry of Death is not available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but is on Paramount+ from Thursday January 19th, showing weekly.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 45-50 minutes per episode (6 episodes, weekly)
Release date: January 19th 2023
Studio: Paramount+
Format: 2.00:1
Director: Richard Clark
Producer: Matt Carver
Writer: Sukey Fisher
Music: Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
Cast:
David Hunter: Harry Treadaway
Jenny Krause: Jeanne Goursand
Neil Yates: Dylan Mynett
Sam Yates: Louie Mynett
Linda Yates: Anna Andresen
DC Leanne Hodges: Eleanor Grace
DCI Mackenzie: Samuel Anderson
Janice Spink: Caroline Harker
Henry Maitland: Lucian Msamati
Ben Anders: Jefferson Hall
Dan Mason: Samuel Creasy
Gary Yates: Alex Price
Shane Brenner: Charlie Rix
Scott Brenner: George Hannigan
Tina Harper: Lauren O’Rourke
Dr Marina Shah: Asmara Gabrielle
George Mason: Jon Rumney
Rev. Susan Scarsdale: Janet Kumah
Harry Timmis: Roger Morlidge
Mary Fraser: Nina Singh
Kara Hunter: Ellen Francis
Alice Hunter: Rosie Whimster
PC Duncan Mcinney: Stuart Campbell
Sean MacDonald: Douglas Russell
Gunther: Hardy Krüger Jr
Anna McLeod: Sophie Sloan
Tina Harper: Lauren O’Rourke
Harry Timmis: Roger Morlidge
Linda Yates: Anna Andresen
George Mason: Jon Rumney
Dan Mason: Samuel Creasey
Rev. Susan Scarsdale: Janet Kumah
Dr. Marina Shah: Asmara Gabrielle
DC Leanne Hodges: Eleanor Grace
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.