Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Baghdad Central’ on Hulu, a ‘Desert Noir’ About an Iraqi Man Questing for His Kidnapped Daughter

Hulu’s Baghdad Central is something of a novelty — an Iraq War drama told from the perspective of Iraqis. The series, which first premiered on British Channel 4, is a “desert noir” of sorts, starring Waleed Zuaiter as a former cop who allows himself to be recruited to work for American and British forces, hoping it’ll help lead him to his kidnapped daughter. Whether it lives up to its promise and transcends its novel status remains to be seen.

BAGHDAD CENTRAL: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A bustling market in Baghdad.

The Gist: Sawsan (Leem Lubany) has an unpopular opinion: “I say let them come.” Her father, Muhsin Kadr al-Khafaji (Zuaiter), bristles; he’s a detective with the Iraqi police. It’s March of 2003, and the U.S. is on the cusp of invading her home city of Baghdad. She has no love for Sadaam Hussein, and fosters hope for democracy. Soon, the bombs fall, orange explosions filling the nighttime sky.

Eight months later, a U.S. coalition is in charge. Muhsin is now a former detective, living in a dingy apartment and taking care of his younger daughter, Mrouj (July Namir), who’s ailing and needs regular dialysis. The phone rings. Sawsan left for her university classes two days ago and hasn’t been seen since. He starts gumshoeing around, and learns she was working as a translator for Americans; Mrouj kept it secret, and has the wad of American dollars to prove it. He tries to shake down Sawsan’s professor, Zubeida Rashid (Clara Khoury), who knows something but ain’t telling. Meanwhile, one of Sawsan’s friends, Sanaa (Nora El Koussour), turns up very bruised; her cousin, an Iraqi militant, has snatched an American fellow who she’s romantically involved with.

One night, Muhsin’s door bursts open. U.S. soldiers kneel on his face, cuff him, take him to a detention center and brutally torture him, as they’re wont to do. He’s accused of being a militia head, which, frankly, smells like so much yak crap. He’s dragged to the office of Frank Temple (Bertie Carvel), a cynical sack of yak crap who strongarms Muhsin into working for the occupying forces, because being a dick is both of their jobs, albeit with some differences in concept and execution. There’s security and medicine and all that in it for him if he agrees, Temple says. Muhsin goes home, eyes his ailing daughter, then, with equal parts determination and resignation, pushes her wheelchair into the Green Zone.

Our Take: The first episode of Baghdad Central offers crisp storytelling, strong characters and a strong ear for cagey dialogue. Muhsin is part sad sack, part resourceful tough guy, and part of what puts us firmly in his corner — besides his obviously righteous mission — is the fact that we don’t yet know what he’s capable of. The show hinges on Zuaiter’s performance, and his characterization neatly walks the line between confidence and desperation.

The series neatly weaves together cynical and sincere tones: The torture sequence is brutal and realistic — the Americans literally grab his mustache and rip it off — while Corey Stoll shows up to play a U.S. military captain who’s probably burying something ugly beneath his smirk. (Westerners, in fact, are depicted as misanthropic a-holes, and it’s amusing to see stereotypes flow in the opposite direction for a change.) The Zubeida character offers a compelling tease for potential feminist subtext: “Women in today’s Iraq have a habit of disappearing,” she says. It’s hard to watch, and then it’s easy to watch, then hard to watch again. But Zuaiter deals with it all nicely, anchoring what’s, so far at least, a tight, well-conceived drama.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: A crane shot rises above the bustling chaos in the now-occupied Iraq as people line up to enter the Green Zone.

Sleeper Star: Khoury’s character has an intriguing presence — what’s her story, anyway? — and Carvel excels at playing a probably morally compromised jackass. Either one seems to nicely counterbalance the earnestness Zuaiter brings to the table.

Most Pilot-y Line: “If you can wear sunglasses and chew gum you can be an American Soldier.” — Karl the cab driver

Our Call: STREAM IT. Baghdad Central is well-written, -directed and -acted, and the debut episode sets the table for some potentially vigorous drama.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Stream Baghdad Central on Hulu