From Darkness


From Darkness is a British psychological crime drama that premiered on BBC One on 4 October 2015. The series stars Anne-Marie Duff as former police officer Claire Church. A total of four episodes were broadcast. A DVD of the complete series was released on 9 November 2015. Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on 1 November 2015, on BBC First.

Plot

Claire Church, a former police officer who moves away to the remote Western Isles in an attempt to escape the violent past that still haunts her, finds herself pulled back by her former lover and colleague DCI John Hind, and his new DS Anthony Boyce, into an investigation she thought she had left well behind. When two victims are uncovered beneath the murky depths of a Manchester building site, Hind links them to a serial killer whose identity has not been discovered. Now, 17 years on, he appears to be killing again. But can Church and Hind piece together all of the clues – old and new – to finally discover the killer's identity?

Cast

Reception

The series had a mixed reception from critics.
The List summarised their review: "We've walked this road too many times before. There's nothing blatantly wrong with From Darkness – it's well produced, the acting is uniformly good, the story intriguing – but after The Killing, The Bridge, even Shetland, it feels anonymous."
News site Metro said "Not a fan of police procedural dramas? Good, because this ain’t that. From Darkness is a character-driven tale of one women’s journey and resolve and it includes a bloody brilliant performance by Duff. It’s full of atmospheric music – the opening credits gave us chills alone – and perfectly placed flashbacks keeping you hooked on Claire’s story."
Sam Wollaston in The Guardian called it intriguing but derivative.