Just a couple of weeks after debuting another new drama (The Looming Tower ), Hulu’s Hard Sun is now available for streaming on the service. However, there are a few notable differences between Tower’s release and that of Hard Sun. For one, the latter show has made all the first season episodes available for your binging pleasure. This is likely because Hard Sun isn’t exactly a Hulu original but a British import that aired on BBC One. Nevertheless, the show has now made it across the pond and is worthy of review.
Hard Sun — from Luther creator Neil Cross, stars Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) and Agyness Deyn (Clash of the Titans) as police officers investigating a case. In the course of their investigation, it becomes apparent that, at the heart of the crime, there’s some sinister information that will have major implications. I don’t want to get much more specific than that… even though the trailer for the series will spoil things in greater detail. Needless to say, you will eventually come to understand what the show’s title means.
Let me say up front that Hard Sun isn’t exactly my type of show. It’s often dark, at times violent, has a slight sci-fi element, and just not the type of world I care to spend much of my time in. That said, I was taken with the cinematography of the show, which consistently provided interesting shots, lighting, and other details that grabbed my attention. Moreover, while I wasn’t immediately drawn in by the show’s premise, by the end, it had secured my interest. To top it off, the song that plays over the first episode’s closing montage is a perfect selection, even if it is a bit on the nose.
If you’ve felt like television seasons have gotten shorter the advent of premium cable and streaming, Hard Sun is yet another example of that trend. With just six episodes in its season (or series, as the Brits call them), the show is a short trip — and one I admittedly have yet to fully take. Based on the first episode, I’m not sure that I will be diving deeper, but that isn’t to say I wouldn’t recommend it to those who enjoy these types of dramas more than I am. If nothing else, Hard Sun certainly feels at home on Hulu as the platform looks to potentially become the “adult” and prestige outlet for the Walt Disney Company.
I give Hulu’s Hard Sun 2.75 out of 5 Ziggy Stardusts.