The Witness (Netflix) could have been lurid, sensationalist and unpleasant (the streaming service has form in this area), but Joe Williams’s miniseries takes a quieter, more powerful path. Its success is in no small part down to a phenomenal, star-making performance from Jordan Bolger.

If some details are so appalling that they are difficult to believe, it is easier to do so considering how honest The Witness is about how imperfectly André and Alex, who consulted on the script with writer Rob Williams, conducted themselves after their loss.

Though it wraps things up a bit quicker than it feels like it should, not spending as much time on elements it introduces that feel worth exploring more, it’s also quite compelling throughout, with Jordan Bolger and Max Fincham providing the emotional grounding needed to feel the emotional weight of what occurred.

Thankfully, the series does not recreate the killing or show its aftermath, but does effectively reveal the morass of horrors inflicted on this family. .... The middle part of the drama inevitably becomes bogged down by the complexities of the investigation.

Because of some good performances and an interest in seeing the broad strokes of this case, The Witness is worth watching, but we just wish the series took a more nuanced look at the Nickell case.