Today on ARD: "Charlotte Link: The Search" – Murder in the Hochmoor

The third star of the two-part film adaptation with Henny Reents and Lucas Gregorowicz on ARD is the setting: “Charlotte Link: The Search” celebrates Yorkshire as a morbid beauty.

Of course, Henny Reents and Lucas Gregorowicz are the stars of this film, and Charlotte Link hovers above everything, after all, the ARD subsidiary Degeto has long since established the name of the novelist as a series title. Nevertheless, the two-parter “The Search”, labeled somewhat exaggerated as a “psychological thriller”, would be only half as impressive without the location: The film was made in the English county of North Yorkshire, large parts of the plot take place in a godforsaken high moorland, which is also thanks to the early winter shooting time is hard to beat when it comes to inhospitable.

The corresponding pictures (camera: Sten Mende) on ARD emphasize the morbid beauty of the landscape and give the story a frosty atmosphere. In addition to the outstandingly good music by Andreas Weidinger, she has played a major role in ensuring that one or the other scene that is a little too long does not bother us, especially since a complex secondary line turns out to be a rather extensive diversionary maneuver.

ARD two-parter “Die Suche”: Charlotte Link hovers above everything

“The Search” begins with a prologue, which is now almost obligatory for many productions of this kind, which, for once, is not followed by a long flashback, but a leap in time into the present: two years ago a girl was kidnapped in Scarborough. When the corpse of a starved and thirsty second teenager is found and shortly afterwards 14-year-old Amelie (Charlotte Lorenzen) disappears from a supermarket parking lot in broad daylight, there can no longer be any doubt that the crimes form a series; the media are already speculating about a “mysterious high moor killer”.

However, Chief Inspector Caleb Hale (Lucas Gregorowicz) is convinced that Amelie has nothing to do with the other cases. Nevertheless, he has nothing against the support of Scotland Yard colleague Kate Linville (Henny Reents). Kate is in town to break up her father’s household. Amelie reappears under dubious circumstances, but can only remember that she was saved from drowning by an unknown person. This Barnes (Nikola Trifunovic) now nests with the initially naturally grateful parents, but behaves more and more like a parasite. Shortly afterwards, Amelie disappears again, despite police protection; and a little later another teenager.

ARD shows “Charlotte Link: The Search”: the second part develops into a thriller

In addition to an extremely exciting “Wolfsland” episode (“No Escape”, 2020), Till Franzen also shot the link adaptation “Im Tal des Fuchses” (2020) for Degeto. The film was a well-acted, captivating thriller with a clever story that had a decisive advantage over its most recent work: the story had to be told within ninety minutes and therefore condensed accordingly.

Three hours of broadcasting time, on the other hand, often tempt you to get bogged down in the sidelines, which is why the first part in particular is quite long. The second, on the other hand, actually develops into a thriller, especially since Franzen managed to create a few scenes of enormous intensity; This is especially true for an editing sequence with goosebumps like from a horror film that turns out to be a nightmare. The equally painful and shockingly unsuccessful attempt at liberation of the fourth teenager is also implemented in an almost uncomfortably realistic manner.

“Charlotte Link: The Search” (ARD): Lucas Gregorowicz only hints at the chief inspector’s abyss

Benjamin Benedict, who has produced several dozen, almost always high-quality and multiple award-winning films and series for Ufa over the past twenty years and who has also co-authored the earlier Link films “The Observer” and “The Last Trace” (2015/17 ) was involved, developed the script concept together with Charlotte Link for ARD.

The strength of the book lies above all in the drawing of the two central roles, especially since the relationship status between Caleb and Kate remains in a charming way in the balance. The two know each other from an earlier case that shook the colleague from London very much. Sometimes the small town policeman asks Kate for her help, then he brusquely points out that she has no power to investigate in Yorkshire.

Thanks to Lucas Gregorowicz, this policeman, who is presumably marked by too much professional suffering and, above all, too much alcohol, is by far the most fascinating character in the film, especially since the actor only hints at the chief inspector’s abyss. Caleb is evidently not happy that Kate is getting involved in a love affair with a boat builder. Still, he prefers to keep his feelings to himself; as is the satisfaction when it turns out that this Chapland (Ben Braun) is somehow involved in the case.

ARD two-part “Charlotte Link: The Search” ends with a hit

The second part will be shown by ARD on Saturday, October 30th, 2021, it will concentrate more on Kate, who is now posing as a journalist, doing her own research, discovering a trace of the past of the first missing girl and is promptly in mortal danger. Another interesting figure, well cast with Christoph Glaubacker, is an alleged writer whom the film brings into play as an accomplice at an early stage.

Not only the resolution of the case turns out to be a small hit, but also the corresponding creepy, credible cast. The British performers are well selected and, above all, so well dubbed that at least in the important speaking roles there is no difference to the German part of the ensemble, the young actresses are without exception well managed, and at the latest by the gripping finale, “Die Suche” actually does to the gripping thriller. (Tilmann P. Gangloff)