Bodkin (2024)
TV show · 2024 · Drama, Mystery · English
Curator score: 3.4/10 (22.9K ratings)
Tagline: The real story is just beneath the surface.
A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 3.4/10
- IMDb: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
- Metacritic: 59
- TMDB: 6.3/10
Production: Higher Ground, wiip, Netflix, Wild Atlantic Pictures
Cast: Siobhán Cullen, Robyn Cara, Chris Walley, David Wilmot, Will Forte
Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict: An easy, breezy mystery with a strong sense of place and a playful tone, but it never fully cashes in on its darker setup. The Irish setting and podcaster premise give it charm, while the plotting and tonal shifts can feel uneven. Best approached as a one-season curiosity rather than a must-binge thriller.
Best for: Viewers who like atmospheric small-town mysteries; Fans of darkly comic, lightly satirical crime stories; People who enjoy scenic Irish settings and ensemble banter; Anyone looking for a short, low-commitment Netflix watch
Skip if: You want a tightly plotted, high-stakes mystery; You prefer serious crime drama over tonal hybrid storytelling; You need a satisfying long-form payoff or multi-season arc; You dislike shows that lean more on vibe than suspense
Overview: Bodkin has a winning premise: a trio of podcasters lands in a picturesque Irish town where old disappearances and local secrets start to surface. The show gets a lot of mileage from its setting, its offbeat ensemble, and the contrast between true-crime enthusiasm and the messier reality on the ground. It’s often more charming than gripping, but the charm is real.
Worth noting: The series works best when it lets the town’s atmosphere and eccentric characters do the heavy lifting. It has flashes of wit and a mildly sinister undercurrent, though the mystery itself doesn’t always deepen in satisfying ways. The tonal blend of comedy, suspense, and social observation is appealing on paper and intermittently effective on screen.
Bottom line: As a single-season Netflix series, it’s an easy sample if you’re in the mood for something lighter than a prestige thriller but darker than a pure dramedy. Just don’t expect a fully locked-in mystery engine or a big payoff that recontextualizes everything. It’s more of a pleasant detour than an essential stop.
Recommended similar titles:
- Only Murders in the Building (2021 · Curator 8.4/10 (204.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu)
Shares the podcasting/true-crime self-awareness, ensemble banter, and light mystery energy, but with a sharper comic engine.
- Deadloch (2023 · Curator 6.9/10 (17.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
If you liked the mix of crime, satire, and local color, this offers a sharper, more aggressively comic take on the form.
- Top of the Lake (2013 · Curator 5.8/10 (40.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu)
For a more haunting, mood-driven investigation in a remote community where the landscape feels inseparable from the story.
- Mare of Easttown (2021 · Curator 9.3/10 (221.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A character-first crime drama that combines local texture, family strain, and a mystery with emotional bite.
- The Missing (2014 · Curator 7.1/10 (32.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Starz, Philo, Spectrum On Demand)
A searching, emotionally charged disappearance mystery that keeps the focus on grief, obsession, and consequences.
- The Night Of (2016 · Curator 9.0/10 (194.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Pure Flix, Max)
For a darker, more procedural take on crime and uncertainty, with strong momentum and a serious tone.
- The Sinner (2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (152.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
An anthology-style mystery series that leans into psychological secrets and compact, bingeable seasons.
- Somebody Somewhere (2022 · Curator 0.1/10 (78 ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- Bad Sisters (2022 · Curator 7.8/10 (54.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus)
For the Irish setting, dark comedy, and ensemble chemistry, with a much tighter and more satisfying narrative drive.
- The Capture (2019 · Curator 7.4/10 (33.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus)
A propulsive conspiracy thriller for viewers who want a more urgent, twisty, modern mystery with binge appeal.
Topics: Irish setting, ensemble drama, crime mystery, darkly comic, atmospheric, limited series, podcast culture, small-town intrigue, slow-burn, streaming original
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/bodkin/241257
Bodkin (2024)
TV show · 2024 · Drama, Mystery · English
Curator score: 3.4/10 (22.9K ratings)
The real story is just beneath the surface.
Overview A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.4/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 59
TMDB: 6.3/10
Production Higher Ground, wiip, Netflix, Wild Atlantic Pictures
Cast Siobhán Cullen, Robyn Cara, Chris Walley, David Wilmot, Will Forte
Where to watch Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
An easy, breezy mystery with a strong sense of place and a playful tone, but it never fully cashes in on its darker setup. The Irish setting and podcaster premise give it charm, while the plotting and tonal shifts can feel uneven. Best approached as a one-season curiosity rather than a must-binge thriller.
Best for
Viewers who like atmospheric small-town mysteries
Fans of darkly comic, lightly satirical crime stories
People who enjoy scenic Irish settings and ensemble banter
Anyone looking for a short, low-commitment Netflix watch
Skip if
You want a tightly plotted, high-stakes mystery
You prefer serious crime drama over tonal hybrid storytelling
You need a satisfying long-form payoff or multi-season arc
You dislike shows that lean more on vibe than suspense
Overview
Bodkin has a winning premise: a trio of podcasters lands in a picturesque Irish town where old disappearances and local secrets start to surface. The show gets a lot of mileage from its setting, its offbeat ensemble, and the contrast between true-crime enthusiasm and the messier reality on the ground. It’s often more charming than gripping, but the charm is real.
Worth noting
The series works best when it lets the town’s atmosphere and eccentric characters do the heavy lifting. It has flashes of wit and a mildly sinister undercurrent, though the mystery itself doesn’t always deepen in satisfying ways. The tonal blend of comedy, suspense, and social observation is appealing on paper and intermittently effective on screen.
Bottom line
As a single-season Netflix series, it’s an easy sample if you’re in the mood for something lighter than a prestige thriller but darker than a pure dramedy. Just don’t expect a fully locked-in mystery engine or a big payoff that recontextualizes everything. It’s more of a pleasant detour than an essential stop.
Recommended similar titles
2021 · Curator 8.4/10 (204.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu
Shares the podcasting/true-crime self-awareness, ensemble banter, and light mystery energy, but with a sharper comic engine.
2023 · Curator 6.9/10 (17.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
If you liked the mix of crime, satire, and local color, this offers a sharper, more aggressively comic take on the form.
2013 · Curator 5.8/10 (40.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
For a more haunting, mood-driven investigation in a remote community where the landscape feels inseparable from the story.
2021 · Curator 9.3/10 (221.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A character-first crime drama that combines local texture, family strain, and a mystery with emotional bite.
2014 · Curator 7.1/10 (32.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Starz, Philo, Spectrum On Demand
A searching, emotionally charged disappearance mystery that keeps the focus on grief, obsession, and consequences.
2016 · Curator 9.0/10 (194.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Pure Flix, Max
For a darker, more procedural take on crime and uncertainty, with strong momentum and a serious tone.
2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (152.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
An anthology-style mystery series that leans into psychological secrets and compact, bingeable seasons.
2022 · Curator 0.1/10 (78 ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Not a mystery, but a great fit for viewers who liked the show’s small-town texture, oddball humor, and human-scale intimacy.
2022 · Curator 7.8/10 (54.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
For the Irish setting, dark comedy, and ensemble chemistry, with a much tighter and more satisfying narrative drive.
2019 · Curator 7.4/10 (33.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A propulsive conspiracy thriller for viewers who want a more urgent, twisty, modern mystery with binge appeal.
Topics
Irish setting, ensemble drama, crime mystery, darkly comic, atmospheric, limited series, podcast culture, small-town intrigue, slow-burn, streaming original
Open Bodkin (2024) on Curator TV