Remember when Olivia Colman won the nation’s heart as DS Ellie Miller in Broadchurch? It was always going to take something truly fantastic to get anywhere close to its brilliance – but finally, we’ve found her best role since. Enter Landscapers, the 10/10 (that's our score) true crime drama with a difference, which stars Olivia as real-life murderer Susan Edwards and, thanks to our friends at Sky, is available to watch tonight.
The series, which first aired in the UK in 2021, is based on the true story of Susan Edwards and her husband Christopher Edwards (played by David Thewlis) who murdered Susan’s parents and managed to avoid being found out for more than a decade. It’s an inventive and genuinely fascinating series that features, in our opinion, one of Olivia’s best-ever performances.
Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know about Landscapers before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Landscapers about?
Written by Olivia Colman's husband Ed Sinclair alongside co-writer and director Will Sharpe (Flowers), the four-part series is based on the true story of convicted murderers Susan Edwards (played by Olivia Colman) and her husband Christopher Edwards (David Thewlis). In 1998, the couple murdered Susan’s parents, Patricia and William Wycherley, in their home in Mansfield, before burying them in their back garden and using their identities to commit fraud. The bodies remained undiscovered for over a decade.
The darkly comic drama follows Susan and Christopher Edwards who have been on the run from reality for over 15 years. When Christopher makes a call home to his stepmother, their role in a terrible crime begins to come to light. And as their relationship is subjected to the glare of a full police investigation, the couple are separated for the first time in their marriage.
It’s a visually bold series that sees the fantasist pair cast themselves as Hollywood heroes in narratives of their own invention. Pivoting through various perspectives from the couple, to the police officers and lawyers involved in the investigation, the drama asks just how far you’re prepared to go for the one you love.
Olivia spoke to Vogue about the comic element of the series, explaining that a certain amount of creative license was used in telling the story. “This isn’t really the true story," she said. "There’s a big dollop of artistic licence. If it was a more recent crime, it would be harder and irresponsible to make it really funny. Also, I think humans just use humour to cope with tragedy.”
She added that she felt an element of sorrow for the characters at the heart of the series: “They’re two people who genuinely love each other. In any relationship, you take turns to step up to the plate and look after each other. They have to do this in extreme circumstances. On the face of it, two people are killed and buried in a garden. So, they’re baddies. But then, you find out everything that’s happened historically. He is her knight in shining armour, the one good man in her life. They always protected each other.”
What happened to the real-life Susan and Christopher Edwards?
The couple were eventually found guilty of murder in June 2014 and were sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.
Who’s in the cast of Landscapers?
The cast of Landscapers includes:
- Olivia Colman (Broadchurch, Run)
- David Thewlis (Fargo)
- Kate O’Flynn (Bridget Jones's Baby)
- Dipo Ola (We Hunt Together)
- Samuel Anderson (The History Boys)
- Karl Johnson (Hot Fuzz)
- Felicity Montagu (I’m Alan Partridge)
- Daniel Rigby (Flowers)
Is there a trailer for Landscapers?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Landscapers below.
Is Landscapers any good?
Yes – while many true crime dramas are so dark you really have to be in the mood to watch them, Landscapers is more inventive, there's some humour in it and Olivia Colman and David Thewlis are absolutely brilliant as murderers on the run. If you’re looking for a series that’s genuinely original and puts a new spin on the true crime genre, it’s well worth adding to your watchlist.
How can I watch Landscapers?
You can watch all four episodes of Landscapers now on Sky and NOW.
What other Olivia Colman dramas can I watch now?
Olivia gives an equally exceptional performance in The Father. At the centre of the film is Anthony Hopkins who plays 80-year-old Anthony, a father with dementia. His daughter, Anne (Olivia), wants to help – but, as those caring for dementia sufferers will know, the reality is far from simple. The Father is available to watch now Prime Video. For something a little easier to watch, we’d recommend Empire of Light. Olivia a cinema manager in 1980s Margate who finds an unexpected connection with her younger colleague Stephen (Michael Ward) and it’s both poignant and relatable. You can watch Empire of Light on Disney+.
