Three-part TV miniseries 2021.
Psychological thriller.
Director: Susan Tully.
Australian viewers: SBS OnDemand.
Cast: Emily Watson as Dr. Emma Robertson, Forensic psychiatrist assigned to the Mortensen case. Denise Gough as Connie Mortensen, Robertson’s patient, is labelled the ‘yummy mummy monster’ in the press. Thalissa Teixeira, Vanessa, ‘Ness’ Jones, Connie’s friend. Risteárd Cooper, Si Robertson, Emma’s husband and a barrister. Jamie Sives, Karl Mortensen, Connie’s husband.
This chilling series is based on a novel of the same name by Clara Salaman under the pen name Natalie Daniels. It follows dedicated forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Emma Robertson as she assesses the sanity of ‘yummy mummy monster’ Connie Mortensen, who is accused of attempted murder. Connie drove her car into water off a pier with two children in the back seat.
Connie is suffering from dissociative amnesia—or is she putting on an act? This is harrowing and extremely well-done. The question that haunts the viewer is: ‘How close do you get before it’s too late…?’ All three shows have aired in Australia, and the final episode is rivetting.
Fiona Sturges of The Independent, UK, says: ‘Monstrous women are a rarity on TV – Why Too Close did well to avoid the cartoonish feel of Killing Eve and Luther. …[This] crime series gave us a nuanced and believable portrait of a ‘dangerous’ woman. That makes a change’.
