Nordic Watchlist reviews the Isabella Eklöf-directed series The Death of Bunny Munro

When news arrived earlier this year that Nick Cave’s The Death of Bunny Munro was headed for a screen adaptation, we were immediately excited – largely thanks to the announcement that Swedish filmmaker Isabella Eklöf was to direct it. At that point, I hadn’t yet read the novel, but the idea of Cave’s dark, provocative story being brought to life by Eklöf felt like a brilliant combination.

Then came the casting of Matt Smith, who seems to be a man of the moment and is always an intriguing on-screen presence, so that only heightened the anticipation.

So, I quickly started to read the book, and with every chapter, my curiosity about the adaptation grew, and it became increasingly clear that Eklöf was an inspired choice for this project.

For those unfamiliar, Eklöf is the Swedish director behind Holiday, featuring an unforgettable performance by Vic Carmen Sonne, and Kalak, which is still awaiting release here. Holiday, despite its neon sheen and Mediterranean backdrop, was a remarkably bleak and unsettling piece of cinema, punctuated by a scene that left audiences shaken. Eklöf does dark and twisted well.

So what’s the story here and how does it translate to the screen?

Matt Smith stars as Bunny Munro, a sex-obsessed, door-to-door salesman roaming the streets of Brighton and Hove. He’s a pretty despicable human being, who you think might start some much-needed self-reflection after the suicide of his long-suffering wife, Libby (played by the excellent Sarah Greene). But instead, Bunny spirals further, dragging his young son, Bunny Junior – played by newcomer Rafael Mathé, who quietly steals the show – on a chaotic, often heartbreaking road trip.

Bunny Senior is clearly a man shaped and scarred by a traumatic past, glimpses of which surface throughout the series and build toward a powerful reveal in the penultimate episode. Though he is now grieving, his response is far from what most would expect. In one shocking moment, he slips out of his wife’s funeral midway through the service because he becomes aroused by the sight of her friends and retreats to the bathroom to “relieve himself.”

As the road trip begins, we experience the journey largely through Bunny Junior’s eyes while his father makes the rounds selling beauty products to various clients. It becomes clear that Bunny Senior is wrestling with demons he can no longer keep buried, and he slowly begins to unravel. Adding to the mounting tension, news of a serial killer dressed as the devil is leaving a trail of violence as he heads south.

The series does diverge from the book in certain ways, and necessarily so. As Nick Cave himself noted at a recent event about the adaptation, translating Bunny’s character directly from page to screen required adjustments simply because he is truly awful.

This by no means takes anything away; it manages to enhance the emotions to another level by being on screen. While credit goes to everyone involved here, the person who truly pulls those heartstrings is Rafael Mathé, who puts in such a beautiful and fragile performance. The way he looks up to his father and his interactions with his mother, Libby, who haunts them both during the series, is just heartbreaking. The casting here has truly unearthed a genuine talent.

Matt Smith fans will be shocked and appalled by this character he is portraying – if you thought he was a despicable character in House of the Dragon, you aren’t even close! But he manages to play the part with such nuance that, despite all his despicable behaviour, somehow, he still makes you feel something for him.

Which all leads back to the direction: Isabella Eklöf has managed to navigate Pete Jackson’s screenplay for the adaptation perfectly.

The Death of Bunny Munro will launch on Thursday 20 November on Sky and streaming service NOW