The Drowning
Sundance | Channel Five | Acorn TV | Sundance Now | Sundance TV | Release Date: May 6, 2021
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
iEmily BakerDec 3, 2021
Season 1 Review: The first half ambled glacially to a point of intrigue, when Jodie decided to pursue her hunch despite protestations from those around her, but once there, The Drowning found its feet as a highly watchable case of (possibly) mistaken identity. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalDorothy RabinowitzApr 29, 2021
Season 1 Review: Its somewhat uneven storytelling aside, “The Drowning” emerges as a potent thriller, largely thanks to a stellar cast. Read full review
80
The GuardianLucy ManganApr 23, 2021
Season 1 Review: The Drowning pays much attention to the endurance and the depths of a bereaved parent’s sorrow and how guilt manifests, while refusing to go in for big dramatic gestures at the expense of this hard-won authenticity. Read full review
80
The TelegraphAnita Singh Apr 23, 2021
Season 1 Review: It’s a no-nonsense thriller, competently acted by its leads to keep us guessing: Halfpenny plays Jodie as a woman who could equally be deluded by grief or bang on the money; Penry-Jones’s character is inscrutable. Read full review
70
DeciderJoel KellerMay 7, 2021
Season 1 Review: The Drowning has some aspects that are a little on the unbelievable side, but for the most part it’s a well-written, well-acted psychological mystery. Read full review
60
Radio TimesFlora CarrDec 2, 2021
Season 1 Review: Despite some of the more predictable set-ups and revelations, at its heart the show is about a grieving woman. And somehow, it’s by building the series around this most familiar of emotions that The Drowning still manages to feel fresh. Read full review
60
The TimesCarol MidgleyApr 23, 2021
Season 1 Review: The Drowning is one of those daft-as-a-brush thrillers where six impossible things happen before breakfast, but, like Alice in Wonderland, you either buy into it and buckle in for the ride or bail out and watch something more credible instead. Read full review
60
The IndependentEd CummingApr 23, 2021
Season 1 Review: The tension of the “is he/isn’t he” question rests on the coherence of the universe. Whether Jodie is right or not, it’s more effective if she is living on our planet. This feels too much like TV land. Read full review
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