By Islam El-Sakka
Stephen Graham's performance as a sadistic serial killer in the new Apple TV+ crime drama Nocturne has been hailed by critics as the most frightening screen portrayal since Anthony Hopkins in Hannibal.
Critics praise Graham's terrifying portrayal
The Guardian awarded the series four stars, writing that the torch may have passed from Hopkins as the screen's most profoundly unsettling serial killer, describing Graham as mesmerising and utterly terrifying. Digital Spy gave five stars, calling his performance one of the most terrifying of the year and noting his chilling, childlike laugh. The Radio Times was less enthusiastic about the series overall, giving it two stars, but highlighted Graham as the main attraction with a deliberately jarring mix of muscular presence and a wheedling sing-song voice.
Graham's preparation and Adolescence success
Graham revealed he watched numerous true-crime documentaries to study the manipulation tactics of serial killers, telling The Times that he immerses himself in research before throwing it away to be in the moment. He also credited the success of his Netflix drama Adolescence, which swept the Bafta television awards earlier this year, for helping him land the role.
Nocturne release details
Nocturne, based on Lars Kepler's novels Lazarus and The Sandman, stars Liev Schreiber as homicide detective Jonah who revisits an abduction case when a missing child reappears. The series debuts on Apple TV+ on Friday, 30 October.
