I was initially unsure what to make of the surreal vibes niggling at the edges of ABC TV’s adaptation of Markus Zusak’s mystery novel The Messenger, about 19-year-old Ed (William McKenna) who starts receiving playing cards inscribed with addresses, each pointing him towards a problem to solve, or a wrong to right. The vibes are humorously offbeat from the first scene, in which Ed foils a robbery by snatching the thief’s gun – prompting the criminal to snarl at him: “You’re a dead man, Ed Kennedy.” How did the robber know his name? And where did the ace of diamonds card with those addresses come from?
In another production these might be core mysteries, but here they slip into the background: we come to accept that there’s something a little off about the fabric of this universe. It took me a little bit to get accustomed to The Messenger’s idiosyncratic rhythms, but soon I relished returning to this world, which is not exactly dreamlike but obviously not quite right. There’s a strange alchemy between setting and character. The former is a small town, supposedly based in the present moment but with little things suggesting otherwise: Ed drives a retro-looking cab and plays cards rather than video games with his friends, Audrey (Alexandra Jensen), Ritchie (Kartanya Maynard) and Marv (Chris Ailoso).
