Rent Maxine (2022)

Excellent performances in a solid and uneasy drama - Maxine review by TB

A very interesting and well-acted series. The murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman was nothing short of absolute evil, combined with a shocking abuse of trust, and this programme absolutely shows the panic and the horror when the girls went missing.

Commendably, what this drama does do exceptionally well is give Maxine Carr a voice which was lost in the enormous media and hysteria machine surrounding the murders. Many people have said, in my opinion quite rightly, about how she was in many ways the subject of far more vilification and hatred than Ian Huntley, who actually committed the murders. This is absolutely unfair and wrong, and something which I had thought for years, and I was pleased that it is shown clearly that as much as what she did in lying to provide an alibi was heinous and wrong, that should not remove one iota of the condemnation and disgust anyone needs to feel towards Huntley.

It is also shown very clearly how she is manipulated and controlled by Huntley, with repeated assaults, threatening and coercion. Whilst some people will say that this is no excuse, to simply ignore how domestic abusers control and destroy lives ends up giving the abusers themselves more power.

The performances are exceptional, although for me, as much as Jemma Carlton absolutely gives it her all and provides a very compelling anti-hero, it is Scott Reid who made the bigger impact. Reid’s performance as Huntley is so disturbingly accurate, toe-curling and compelling that once the credits rolled, that was the lasting impact for me. Huntley was an absolute verminous monster, controlling everyone by either threats, intimidation or when that failed, suicide attempts to try and get his way.

There was also a sub-plot around composite characters of members of the press, which tried to paint them in a slightly more sympathetic light. Unfortunately, as has been the case multiple times recently with these sorts of high-profile murder investigations, the press has repeatedly behaved absolutely despicably towards family members, going so far over the lines of decency and morals that they had forgotten what they looked like when they passed them.

Definitely a good watch, but not an easy one.