User reviews

Set in 2015 this series plays out against the backdrop of the scandal of the Magdalene Nurseries in Ireland finally being exposed, seen through the experience of the protagonist. Ruth Wilson plays against type with a very convincing performance and accent in the lead role.

Its an interesting, moving and intriguing story which is part social history and part psychological and Gothic thriller - for me all the elements worked well together. Production values were excellent, it was well directed and photographed the music by David Holmes and Brian Irvine deserves mention as it added a lot to it and the script by Joe Murtagh (Writer of the beautiful film Calm with Horses) was assured.

All in all loved every episode and Ruth Wilson will surely get a Bafta nomination for best actress for her outstanding work here.

Highly recommended, its a quality piece of work in every department.

I've had the pleasure of visiting Ireland on several occasions. And have always received a warm welcome which is nice considering the past between the two countries. However it seems whenever the BBC make a program in Ireland it's either about Easter rising or the Irish Catholic Church in particular taking of children from women, Who had given birth out of wedlock.

Not only were these children taken away from the mother's, the women themselves would be sent to convent's run by the Catholic Church and nun's who give the gestapo a run for their money.

Ruth Wilson is excellent as always as the mentally disturbed woman who's life it seemed had been destroyed by her time in the convent.

I suppose it's an original twist on ground we have trodden on before.

7/10.

If I know a series has Ruth Wilson in it I am going to watch it. I am a big fan of Ruth, she got me absolutely hooked with her role in Luther and then again in her role in The Affair.

She is such a strong, talented actress.

When I saw the trailer for The Woman in the Wall I was immediately intrigued, it felt like it was going to be a series that had something to say, but also a layer of mystery to it.

It definitely has all of that and more. I am enjoying the ride so far and can't wait to continue on with the series. Ruth again is perfect in her role as Lorna Brady, a woman that when pregnant got sent to a convent (laundry) where she with other women/girls were mistreated by the establishment and had her child removed from her care. The trauma of her past has left her all screwed up and on top of that she is a sleepwalker.. Definitely give this series a shot. It is once again British television at its finest.

This thoughtful and compelling drama gripped me from the very start. Superb writing (and it was no surprise to find out this comes from the same writer who wrote the wonderful Calm With Horses). This is a writer to et excited about and I'd love to see more from him instead of the same dull tried and tested writers the BBC and ITV usually lean on. Wonderful characterisation and excellent performances compliment this story, part historical, part thriller and succeeding at both.

My only criticism would be that there is a slight reliance on the 'maternity drives women mad trope' - in this case women whose children were taken by the catholic church's magdalen laundry system. They all seem to be severely damaged and while there is oaf course a truth to this for many, women are inherently resilient and there are plenty who survived these horrors and somehow didn't go mad.

But this is a tiny glitch in an otherwise perfect series which managed to be informative, thrilling and entertaining while treating the subject matter extremely sensitively.

Not usually one to write reviews but felt I had to. It seems every negative review is because they didn't use exclusively Irish actors. To rate a show 1 star because you don't like the accent and isn't completely up to your liking is pretty petty. The overall rating for this is criminally low. Genuinely one of the best TV shows I've ever seen, if not the best.

The acting, the music, the overall feel, it's absolutely gripping. The performances from the lead actress and actor are 2 of the best I've ever seen.

Can't wait for episodes 5 and 6, just hope it has an ending worthy of the rest of the show.

After a bout of sleepless nights and mental exhaustion, Lorna Brady wakes up one morning to discover a dead woman in her house, believing she's killed her, she walls her up, and then tries to piece together what happened.

Thought provoking, dramatic and provocative, The Woman in the Wall is yet another cracking drama from The BBC, 2023 has been a fine year for the drama wing of The Beeb, this is among the best of them.

I enjoyed the opening episode, I was a bit mixed by the second and third parts, but from four onwards I was captivated. Parts five and six are truly brilliant.

It goes on a totally unexpected journey, you think it's about one thing, but it moves in an altogether darker, more sinister direction, I did not anticipate the outcome.

Ruth Wilson is magical from start to finish, it's a tremendous performance from the star, she sounds and looks so different, there is nothing she cannot do. The supporting cast are fantastic also, Daryl McCormack is brilliant as Akande, if you get a chance check out a film called The Lesson, in which he appears with Richard E. Grant, he's great in it.

Some stunning location work, it looks amazing too, and I loved that music.

9/10.

I could if I were permitted, write a review of this series in two words: Ruth Wilson. Ms Wison is simply exceptional as Lorna Brady giving one of the finest performances I have ever seen in a TV drama. It is hard and emotionally draining to watch at times and that is in large measure because of the superb performances of the whole cast. Incredibly powerful, superbly written and performed, the plot focuses on the suffering of young girls who were cruelly treated in the Laundries and other Catholic institutions, the pain of which continued into adulthood. The series could easily have become an aggressive polemic about the Catholic Church as a whole, but cleverly avoids that, concentrating instead on the victims and their fight for justice against a Church and State desperate to cover up their crimes. Along with a murder investigation and other mysterious events, it is gripping and heartbreaking in turns. Quite simply British drama at its best. A must watch.

I really enjoyed and didn't enjoy this one. This because this series had a subject that i haven't interacted with before (Dark past of some churches) while also being the thing I like, which is a mystery case type of show.

My only problem here is that the series focused more on the dramatic part, findings were reached by coincidence or unrealistic situations and the fact that the show didn't deal with threats. All this lowered the value for this series to me.

Nice attempt for something unusual but failed in my opinion.

This is one of the best things I have seen on TV in a long time.

How anybody could give this 1 star is beyond me.......unless of course your idea of entertainment is Love Island and Emmerdale.

Ruth Wilson is beyond fantastic. She gives the most spine chilling performance and should be commended for her skills, ability and brilliance. The story that is told is both heart breaking and spell binding. Sometimes the truth hurts but needs to be told.

Nothing more to be said.......this is a brilliant piece of TV. For some people it may be very hard to watch but if you leave personal feelings aside, there is no question this is quality.

I recently read Fintain O'Toole's brilliant book 'We Don't Know Ourselves', which among other things tells the story of the Catholic church's pernicious grip on post-war Ireland. An aspect of this tale is told in fictional form in 'The Woman in the Wall', which addresses the way that babies were taken from unmarried young women and sold for money. The truth is horrific; but the drama doesn't quite work. It's focused on a woman who has had her child taken and who in conseqence, is now almost deranged. Her madness provides the mystery in the story (one could say she doesn't know her self), but at other times the plot requires her to be a rational investigator of her own history. It's a shame, as while there's a lot here that's strong, the early episodes in particular feel like they're trying too hard to set something up. It might have been better with a little less mystery.

For acting skill and chemistry this is the best series since Happy Valley. Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack are absolutely top. They've both come a long way since girl assassin in Luther and boy gangster in Peaky Blinder. There isn't a weakness with any of the actors.

The script although like a spiders poisonous web and convoluted eventually clears the smoke and much dust.

Fine camerawork and scenery helps build a creepy tension. No jokes, just deadly dark. The RC Church doesn't come off too well and the local police especially Simon Delaney as Massey eventually redeem themselves. Recycling babies and hiding from Mr Cruelty isn't a happy subject so please take a deep breath. It's not nice but worth patience and concentration.

I'm very loathe to give 10 to a TV drama but I have to make an exception. This is a wonderfully executed piece of television: spot on casting, beautiful nuanced acting from all the cast, great music and above all great writing and direction. Acting of the calibre of Ruth Wilson in this piece is rare to see but also Daryl McMormack's contribution is exceptional. It's a first rate television program and demands to be seen.

I have read other reviews, some only one star. All I can say to anyone reading this is to ignore anything less than a six star. Even if you had gripes about English folk playing Irish or issues about Irish history being trashed by a British TV program you can't miss the quality of the production. It's way, way above average.

I'm shocked at some of the reviews and had to write one myself. This has been one of the best series I've seen and it's so far only 4 episodes long. The acting is phenomenal and the story is one that needs to be told for a few generations yet to come, clearly cause people still haven't got the message about how profoundly nauseating this part of Ireland's history was. If you think watching this is dark, can you please imagine the actual horrors that went on. It was ten times worse then what the writers have portrayed, wanted to portrayed. People's ignorance shocks me. This had a deep rooted effect on me. I have Irish ancestry and although I'm not a mother, I would not have even conceived the thought of doing this to any young mother, but it happened, The Magdalene laundry did happen and I'm so pleased someone is doing something to bring justice and give it light. If you think this is to Dark, gothic, and your having a hard time watching this, just think what those poor mothers witnessed the actual truth is sometimes more harrowing.

Ireland did not look like this less than a decade ago.

The sub Martin McDonagh attempts at black comedy skirt very lose to paddywhackery,which is outdated and whilst meant to provide relief from the grimness of the story actually belittles and demean the true stories that form the basis for this gothic thriller.

Whilst I understand the power of writing a genre piece to draw attention to an horrific and shameful chapter of Irish history to those outside of the Country this tome does not work,at all.

This is no fault of the cast who all acquit themselves well,if a little mannered at times,nor the directors,cinematographers and crew.

The show is beautifully shot,atmospheric and edited to reflect the fractured ature of both the tale and the main protagonists psyche.

It is however misconceived on a base level which,whilst I'm sure was well researched and guided by advisors,still rings of expoitation rather than illumination.

It desperately needed a southern Irish producer or director or even executive to glance across it during production and speak up,even country towns didn't look like the barren Northern Irish location.

Shops did not look like that,petrol stations definitely did not look like that and even a villages Garda station would have had proper computers and flatscreen monitors oh a d email,rather than printing out a cctv image.

Perhaps British television should look at how it views the Irish and address the blind spot they seem to have with their neighbouring ex colony in a similar way in which they have tried to be aware of unconscious racial bias.

An Irish tragedy, told as a thriller. The church can be a suspicious place at times and this is one such story. Catholic priests and nuns up to no good, ruining young mother's lives by taking away their babies.

This is the premise of the story about to unfold. As to why, many will already know but for those who do not, I do not give spoilers.

Extremely well written through to the final episode (so many series are let down by the final one), this is a dark, gripping TV film that gets into the hearts of people.

Splendidly acted by the entire cast, I would not be surprised to see this at awards time. I like to discover actors who have not been on my radar before and four stood out for me here. How have I missed Ruth Wilson before who plays Lorna so convincingly, whose baby went missing many years before and she's not even Irish. Others are Irish, Simon Delaney, the local police officer, Daryl McCormack, sent in to oversee the case and Hilda Fay as Amy, another bereft mother.

It is dark, at times gloomy, at times sad and at times uplifting but stick with it and you will be rewarded. A great series.

My Review- The Woman in the Wall My Rating. 9/ 10 Will be streaming later this year on Paramount Plus

I was fortunate enough to get a preview of this series from a friend in the U. K.

Mark this one down on your future viewing diary it's such a compelling and disturbing fictional story written and created by British born Joe Murtagh .

And skilfully directed by Harry Wootliff and Rachna Suri .

Principle fuming took place on location in Northern Ireland and also the Republic of Ireland, namely, County Mayo.

Principle starring roles are Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack and they both give wonderful performances as Lorna Brady an Irish woman with severe psychological trauma due to the cruel events that occurred at the so called Magdalene laundries also known as Magdalene asylums which were institutions usually run by Roman Catholic orders of nuns that operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries.

I highly recommend an excellent 2002 movie The Magdalene Sisters before watching The Woman in the Wall which for me was like a prequel to The Woman in the Wall .

It starred the wonderful Geraldine McEwan as Sister Bridget and tells the story of three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.

The Woman in the Wall is a six-part BBC mystery drama created by Joe Murtagh and Margaret Perry it tells the story of the aftermath of the abuse that occurred in these sweat shops and the trauma and suffering of mothers whose babies were taken away from them at birth.

This was Ireland's stolen generation when babies were sold to foster parents for large so called donations to the Catholic Church.

Many of those mothers including Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson) believed their babies had died and this forms a vital part of the investigation that young Detective Colman Akande played by Daryl McCormack who recently was so impressive in the 2022 movie Good Luck to You, Leo Grande opposite Emma Thompson.

He experiences suspicion and lack of cooperation in his interrogations from the local Garda Police Sargent who wants to keep the village secrets in the village .

In The Woman in the Wall Irish actor Daryl McCormack shows his versatility this time keeping his clothes on in a much more challenging role as his character becomes haunted and revisits his own childhood trauma that also arises from the crimes of The Magdalene Laundry.

This is definitely a mystery not a documentary that picks up pace after an initial slow but dramatic start taking the viewer on a journey that takes many twists and turns.

The mysterious first episode leads to a fascinating case involving The Magdalene Laundry when Lorna Brady who sleep walks wakes up to find an unknown dead woman in her home doubting her innocence becoming the prime suspect in a murder .

If this series was a movie I have no doubt that Ruth Wilson's performance would be considered Oscar worthy.

I hope when The Woman in the Wall does stream in Australia that it streams in its entirety as a week between the 6 episodes does interrupt the tension and mystery of this unique and fascinating story.

Being a young Irish woman who had a teenage pregnancy- this story really hits home that many many many women in Ireland in my position had the life they had. It breaks my heart and it is so important this story continues to be told. As one of Irelands darkest dirtiest secrets, the BBC drama highlights how the laundries effects so many generations and the wider community.

Mental health has also been recognised as a consequence of trauma.

The woman in the wall is gripping from the off set and Ruth Wilson does an amazing job with her talent portraying Lorna.

Highly recommend. Get the tissues ready.

We thought we'd give this "gripping" new bbc drama a go, but like so many of today's offerings, The Woman in the Wall was disappointing.

Wobbly cameras, mumbled dialogue and a narrative that bounces around like a daddy long legs on speed.

Very hard to follow, unconvincing acting and ultimately a group of characters that is hard to care about. Lorna just stares into space most of the time and is abusive to just about everyone else in the story. The bumbling cops and local women are little more than stereotypes

If you want a story about abuse in the Catholic Church try "Spotlight" or "Philomena". Vastly superior in every sense.

Exceptional series ( 5 episodes in ) Far and away the best series i have seen this year. Thought provoking and dark with superb acting by all. Ruth Wilson gives a quite stunning performance. I would highly recommend this series to prospective viewers. I am sure that come the New Year 'The Woman In The Wall' will be vying for awards on numerous fronts. Only the second time i have actually took the time to write a review here, but felt it was important to express my opinion on this gem of a series. Whilst i accept that taste in viewing is a personal thing, i am still genuinely surprised at the lower ratings on some reviews.

Many a drama serial offering these days are a bit lack lustre, but this one has held my attention.

Ruth Wilson's portrayal of a severely traumatised survivor of Ireland's Catholic Church abuses, is very good.

She is not a likeable character, which makes it all the more convincing.

I am usually quite good at knowing the outcome of serial dramas, but this one keeps you on your toes; what is real and what is hallucination.

After episode 4 I think I I may have it worked it out but I am not sure, so I continue to watch.

I am hoping all the threads will come together and we are not left with one of those ridiculous "damp squib" endings so many current dramas seem to have these days.

UPDATE

Just watched the last episode and it delivered. So go on watch it.