See gays do crime in new heist series Culprits

A new thriller focused on queer people of color is headed to Hulu/Disney+. Much more than your typical love story, Culprits is part family drama, part heist thriller, giving new meaning to the phrase ‘be gay, do crime.’

Based on the novel The Anthology Culprits: The Heist Was Only The Beginning by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips, the miniseries adaptation will consist of eight parts. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett plays Joe, a business owner dad who seems to have it made. But his fiance Jules (Kevin Vidal) is about to learn that there’s a seedy underbelly lurking underneath their perfect life.

“Joe Petrus is living the American dream: a fiancé to Jules, dad to Frankie and Bud, and starting his own business in a sleepy suburban town,” the official synopsis reads. “But unbeknownst to his family, Joe has a secret.

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“Three years ago, he was recruited by notorious British criminal Dianne Harewood to join her crew and take part in a high-stakes crime that promised to make Joe rich and provide him with a brand-new life. And now Joe’s dangerous past is about to catch up with him.

“When a killer starts targeting the crew behind the crime, Joe realizes that the only way to keep his family safe is to return to London, make contact with his old gang, and track down Dianne.”

While it’s hard to get a good idea of what’s in store from the trailer, that’s partially a good thing. We were promised a thriller, and the trailer delivers on the tense phone conversations, gadgets, shootouts, and car chases. It feels like forever since we’ve had queer people centered in a decent genre romp, and Culprits might just fit the bill.

Culprits is written and directed by J Blakeson, known for the satirical thriller I Care A Lot and the HBO miniseries Gunpowder. Additional cast members include Gemma Arterton, Eddie Izzard, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Niamh Algar, Kamel El Basha, Tara Abboud and Ned Dennehy.

The eight-part series Culprits will be available on November 8 in the UK through Disney+ and on December 8 in the US through Hulu.