REVIEW: AppleTV+’s ‘Manhunt’ is Worth the Watch

AppleTV+ premieres it’s brand new miniseries, Manhunt today, March 15, and this is not a series you want to skip out on. Based on The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning non-fiction book “Manhunt: the 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer.” by James L. Swanson, the series takes you inside the manhunt to find the man who assisnated President Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth.

Created by Monica Beletsky, this series takes a deeper dive into the people who helped track down Booth and his cohorts. It sheds light on an investigation that is brushed over in U.S. histroy classes, that is actually really fascinating. The first episode of the series wastes no time introducing all the key characters featured in the story and laying the groundwork for what’s to come in the series. . It is the first series in quite a while where I was hooked minutes into the first episode. Typically, I have to watch episode two to decide if this show is for me or not, but not Manhunt. The pacing is fast and the story will have you captivated from start to finish. Add in the fact that the cast they have brought together for it is phenomanal.

Tobias Menzies leads the cast as Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. Stanton is a historical figure many people don’t know much about, but you will be wanting to learn more about him as the credits wrap on the first episode. Menzies is perfect as the unsung hero, who will stop at nothing to find the man who killed not only his President, but his friend. Anthony Boyle plays the villain of the story, John Wilkes Booth and is perfect. There is nothing likeable about his character and that is because Boyle portrays him in a way where you can’t help but despise.

Hamish Linklater, Lovie Simone, and Patton Oswalt roundout the cast as Abraham Lincoln, Mary Simms, and Lafayette Baker. Linklater shows off a side of Lincoln that is not typically seen on screen as he plays the domesticated version of the former Presdient. It will be interesting to see how this new look plays out as the series progresses, but it is definitaly a different side to a character we have seen on screen many, many times. Simone as a very minor role in the first episode, but don’t count her out. Mary becomes very important as the series progresses, and Simone delivers. Oswalt has no role in the first episode, but is instead introduced in the second episode. But, like Simone, he delivers as well.

Manhunt is a procedural set during a time where there is no forensics and no technology to assist in the investigation. It’s fasinating to watch as they conduct this investigation in a way that is rarely show on TV. Beletsky and her team have crafted a show doesn’t shy from the consipracy theories that surround the death of Lincoln, but they also don’t attempt to push an agenda. Instead, they provide a deeper look into a moment in the United States’ history that could have ended very differently. If you have AppleTV+, give this show a watch. You won’t be dissapointed.

Grade: A