Netflix viewers are binge-watching Carey Mulligan crime miniseries Collateral
A four-part crime thriller starring Carey Mulligan is drawing fresh attention from Netflix viewers, with fans describing the series as gripping, intelligent and easy to finish in a single afternoon.
Released in 2018, Collateral follows Mulligan as Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie, a newly promoted officer investigating the seemingly straightforward murder of a pizza delivery driver. What begins as a shooting investigation quickly develops into a much larger and more complicated case involving drug dealers, smugglers, spies and political figures. Netflix describes it as a tangled conspiracy that emerges from the killing.
For viewers looking for a short crime drama rather than a series with dozens of episodes, Collateral offers four installments, each running for roughly an hour. The series was created and written by David Hare and directed by S. J. Clarkson. It originally aired on BBC Two in February and March 2018 before its international release through Netflix.
Carey Mulligan leads the investigation
Mulligan plays DI Kip Glaspie, who is assigned to investigate the shooting of Abdullah Asif, a pizza delivery man working for Regal Pizza.
Abdullah is killed by a masked shooter shortly after making a delivery to Karen Mars, played by Billie Piper. Karen is the former wife of politician David Mars, played by John Simm, adding an unexpected political dimension to what initially appears to be a random killing.
Glaspie refuses to treat the case as a simple act of street violence. As she begins following the evidence, the investigation expands into a network of interconnected characters and secrets. Netflix’s episode descriptions show the case becoming increasingly complicated as MI5 becomes involved, another murder takes place and Glaspie gets closer to the people behind the conspiracy.
The supporting cast includes Nicola Walker as Jane Oliver, Nathaniel Martello-White as DS Nathan Bilk and Jeany Spark as Sandrine Shaw, alongside Piper and Simm.
Mulligan will already be familiar to many viewers from films including The Great Gatsby, Promising Young Woman and Maestro. In Collateral, she takes on a very different role as a determined detective working through an increasingly tangled investigation.
A four-episode mystery designed for a quick binge
One of the biggest attractions is the show’s compact format. Collateral consists of only four episodes, with runtimes of approximately 56 to 58 minutes.
The story unfolds over four days in London, allowing the investigation to move quickly while gradually connecting its different strands. Rotten Tomatoes describes the series as a four-part thriller in which the shooting of a pizza delivery driver draws DI Glaspie into London’s criminal underworld.
That structure has made the miniseries particularly appealing to viewers who want something they can complete without committing to several seasons.
One viewer described the experience of watching Collateral in a single afternoon, while another praised its cast, story and cinematography. A separate fan highlighted the pleasure of watching Mulligan’s character confidently handle the investigation.
The series has also attracted praise for its measured approach. One Rotten Tomatoes viewer called it smart and said the story improves with each episode, while another described it as a dark, intelligently written detective drama and singled out Mulligan’s lead performance.
Critics have also responded positively
The audience reaction has been mixed overall, but critics have been somewhat more positive.
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists Collateral at 79% from critics and 64% from audiences. The site’s critics’ consensus highlights the performances, while noting that some of the series’ social commentary can feel heavy.
The show’s story extends beyond the central murder mystery, bringing together crime, politics, immigration and the actions of intelligence agencies. Netflix categorizes the series as a British crime thriller as well as a social-issue drama.
That combination gives the four episodes considerably more to explore than the opening murder might suggest. As Glaspie follows the evidence, seemingly separate lives begin to intersect and the investigation grows increasingly complicated.
Don’t confuse it with the Tom Cruise movie
Despite sharing the title, the 2018 series has no connection to Collateral, the 2004 crime thriller starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx.
Michael Mann’s 2004 film follows a taxi driver who discovers that his passenger is a hitman carrying out a series of killings. The Netflix series, meanwhile, is a four-part British television drama centered on Mulligan’s Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie and the murder of a pizza delivery driver.
Watch the trailer
The official trailer introduces Mulligan’s DI Kip Glaspie as she begins investigating the shooting and starts to uncover the wider network surrounding the case.
Collateral is a 2018 limited series starring Carey Mulligan, John Simm and Nicola Walker. Netflix currently lists all four episodes on its official title page.