By: Thapelo Ramorobi.
What happens when a defence attorney decides to commit a crime? Will it be the perfect crime with no evidence leading back to him, or will he miss a few pieces of evidence?
Murder Mindfully follows the life of a prominent defence attorney, Björn (Tom Schilling). Because of his demanding career, Björn spends less time with his family, and as a way to save his relationship with his daughter, he goes for a mindfulness therapy programme.
Ironically, his newfound mindfulness techniques become the tools he relies on when he commits his very first murder. His mindful techniques and time as a defence attorney come into play when he disposes of the body and has to pretend to be a mob boss.
Max Zähle and Martina Plura made sure we got into the minds and thought processes of the main character, which makes the series engaging with the audience. The shot choices and the use of jump cuts, especially to transition from the present moment to when Bjiörn had a conversation with his therapist, cover any questions the audience might, cleverly bridging the gaps in the narrative and placing the audience in Björn’s head.
Character development in the series played a huge role in moving the plot forward and actually getting into the climax of the storyline. There are some minor continuity concerns, though, but they are so minor that you’d hardly notice them.
Overall, Murder Mindfully is a well-crafted crime series that lightens the most tense moments with a touch of comedy, humanising the character and making him more relatable and building up to the emotional relevance. It makes it hard not to laugh even at the most critical moments.
