The Staircase - Series Review

Colin Firth and Toni Collette star in the dramatisation of the story of Michael Peterson, a crime novelist accused of killing his wife Kathleen after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home, and the 16-year judicial battle that followed.

This was an uncomfortable watch and took some time to finish. As I’d seen part of the 2004 true crime docuseries of the same name created by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade this case is based on, I knew the general concept of this case.

The show is written in a non-linear style; the narrative spans sixteen years, the murder itself and the possibilities of what could have caused Kathleen’s death and the tragic aftermath. However, Antonio Campos‘ adaptation does not offer a definitive answer or sensational theories. As there are three theories of what could have happened that night, Campos explores each scenario and their outcomes with nuance and sensitivity.

Unlike the original documentary, Kathleen is a central figure in the series. Whereas the documentary focuses on the aftermath of her death, we see Toni Collette embrace this opportunity to portray a three-dimensional portrayal of Kathleen - which she was superb at. In every scene, Collette did not falter in her performance.

Meanwhile, Colin Firth shines in one of the darkest roles I've ever seen him play. This series doesn’t shy away from Michael’s internal struggles with his mental health and the consequences of suppressing his sexuality. Although this series doesn’t condemn him as a murderer, it does delve into his narcissistic tendencies. We see his toxic behaviour, his adulterous relationships, emotional detachment and self-righteousness. The show explores his lack of guilt and disregard for his relationships - both with family members and romantic relationships - yet we see undeniable passion as he protests his innocence when it came to his wife. It raised some interesting questions: Michael had some serious issues and flaws, but does that mean he did it?

Throughout this series, I went back and forth with that same question. When I thought I had come to my own conclusion based on the evidence, something would make me question that again.

This is very much an ensemble piece with this dramatisation focusing not just on the central couple, the ripple effect on the family as individuals and their own relationships was delved into with surprising depth and poignancy. Dane DeHaan as Clayton, Patrick Schwarzenegger as Todd, Sophie Turner as Margaret, Odessa Young as Martha, and Olivia DeJonge as Caitlin were all fantastic in their respective roles. Watching their characters grown from adolescence into adulthood with conflicting feelings towards their father, their unresolved trauma and even their own sexualities in some cases were portrayed perfectly on screen.

As mentioned, we have the previous documentary which provided unfiltered access to Michael’s court proceedings and his home life. As the drama unfolded into that aspect of his life, we see the making of the documentary and what inspired it. Vincent Vermignon played the documentary’s director, Jean-Xavier and Juliette Binoche played Sophie Broussard, the documentary’s editor and Michael’s pen pal turned significant other in later years.

As this film chronicles over thirty years of the events leading up to and after Kathleen’s death, it leaves the audience on an uneasy and ambiguous note. With Michael’s eventual release, we see the breakdown of his third marriage and the estrangement he has from his own freedom. Despite protesting his innocence, he becomes a lonely and isolated individual by the end of the mini-series.

It’s really left up to the audience on which three of the potential causes of Kathleen’s death they believe, but the creative team behind this project did a superb job at creating a compelling narrative with complex characters at the heart of a real life tragedy.

My rating The Staircase (2022) is ★★★★★.