The Serpent is the biggest hit for the BBC since Normal People. Now it's coming to the United States on April 2 on Netflix.
Starring Tahar Rahim (who was recently nominated for a Golden Globe award for his work in The Mauritanian) and Jenna Coleman, the eight-part series tells the tale of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who targeted Western backpackers on the Southeast Asian "Hippie Trail" in the 1970s.
We caught up with Rahim back in December 2020, before the series launched on the BBC, and he told us about how he actually was well familiar with the story of Sobhraj.
"When I was 16 my brother had a book called 'The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj' and I read it several times," says Tahar. "I already wanted to be an actor, so I dreamt of playing that part because it was fascinating. Then 20 years later, I got an email from my from my agent saying like, 'Yes, some people are interested in you to play a man called Charles Sobhraj'. I told my agent i knew the guy and he said he would call them."
The trailer shows Sobhraj drugging his marks, toying with a knife and surrounded by candles. "Our home is always open to friends," he says. What he doesn't say is that his intentions are for those friends. The trailer then turns to the search for missing dutch backpackers last seen with a French gem dealers.
"This is what he does," we hear. "He robs. He kills."
Sobhraj then comes back in. "Nobody has ever caught me. I expected to feel great guilt. I did not. I felt free."
The Serpent premieres in the United States on April 2.
