DVD Review : Mayday

From the executive producer of Broadchurch, Mayday makes its DVD Debut on March 15, 2016 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. On May Day in a small community, the residents go about their everyday business as they wait for the traditional pagan parade to begin. When the newly crowned May Queen, the highlight of the event, does not show up, the townsfolk grow suspicious that someone among them has kidnapped her. Upending the typical whodunit, this “gripping drama” (Daily Mail) focuses not on the police investigation, but on the horror of suspecting a loved one has committed a terrible crime. Starring Peter Firth (MI-5), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Wire), Leila Mimmack (Son of God), Max Fowler (The Killing), Lesley Manville (Maleficent), and Academy-award nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, The Slap), the miniseries made its U.S. premiere in Nov. 2015 on Acorn TV, the premier streaming service for world-class television from Britain and beyond. This DVD 2-disc set features five episodes plus a bonus Making ofMayday featurette ($39.99, AcornOnline.com).

In a quaint English village seeped in pagan traditions, the highlight of May Day is the traditional parade. But when the May Queen, 14-year-old Hattie Sutton (Leila Mimmack) disappears shortly before the event, the residents grow suspicious that someone among them might have taken her. The shocking realization that there could be a killer in the community shatters the façade of idyllic small-town life.

The search for Hattie threatens to reveal everyone’s darkest secrets. Ex-cop Fiona (Sophie Okonedo) struggles in her new role as a housewife. Gail (Lesley Manville) discovers that her husband, Malcolm (Peter Firth), lies about where he goes each day. Everett (Aidan Gillen) brings home a mysterious bag big enough to hide a body.

BONUS The Making of Mayday (25 min.) and a photo gallery

Street Date: March 15, 2016                                    SRP: $39.99  

DVD 2-Disc Set: 5 episodes – Approx. 280 min. – SDH Subtitles

UPC 054961239498                                       ISBN 9781621723943

Contains violence, coarse language, sexual situations, brief nudity, and disturbing images.

My Thoughts

As someone who follows a pagan path, I found this mini-series especially interesting. The story centers around the celebration of May Day, also known as Beltane. It's supposed to be a fertility celebration, but in this show, the celebration is ruined when the May Queen vanishes under mysterious circumstances.  There are five episodes in the set.

1- The May queen, Hattie, vanishes the day of the parade. Locals blame the magic circle, but the police are looking at several of her family members. Things look dim even though her twin swears she's still alive.
2- Hattie's father leads a search party to try to distract attention from his handicapped brother.
3- A body is found but it's not Hattie's. Suspicion starts to move in another direction, but the townsfolk are getting antsy.
4- Some evidence is found is a briefcase and the police receive a startling confession.
5- The village gets upset when a confessor is released. We get a few answers, but still some questions remained unanswered, leaving the possibility of a sequel. 

I really enjoyed this mini-series. The mystery was thrilling, but I also enjoyed getting a peak into the pagan traditions that take place in Europe and the touch of magic weaved into the story. It was an exciting feature that I would definitely watch again.  I really  hope they continue on with this mini-series to ties up the loose ends.