Critic Reviews

One of the tightest and brightest and most sublime miniseries--running at a meager three hours, one hour per episode--that you're likely to see on television in 2018. ... Grant's performance is a tour-de-force. ... Whishaw is also fantastic in bringing multiple shades to his portrayal.

Full of sly humor, poignant commentary and bizarre twists, it's almost like the perfect marriage of "The Crown" and a Coen brothers movie.

[Stephen Frears] does his best work in over a decade. ... He brings the absolute best out of Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, who give riveting performances in the telling of one of the U.K.’s most shocking political scandals. This is a must-see.

Although A Very English Scandal will probably best be remembered for the two incredible performances at the heart of its narrative, it is also a careful study in how to balance a story in which the truth is almost certainly stranger than any fiction.

There’s a light touch to the material, but a deceptive one, as the wit of the script and charm of the performances mask the real pain and trauma within lives ruined by deception and bigotry.

Superb miniseries. ... Grant is a revelation. ... What’s not surprising is that Ben Whishaw--so memorable in “London Spy” and “The Hour”--is spectacular as Scott.

This rollicking, sublimely written work of countless tones leaves no doubt that Thorpe was guilty of plotting obsessively to kill his once-adored younger lover, Norman Scott. ... Among its tones, the show manages a tender note or two for the character of Thorpe, which leads, in the end, to a convincingly complex portrait.

A sharp, incisive and (above all) funny script and direction to match. ... Whishaw's brilliant here, and almost effortlessly steals the entire miniseries.

Better still for viewers is the Englishness of the series, which, in keeping with the brevity of many U.K. series, takes a mere three installments to elegantly make its points. Three hours is enough time for two great actors to craft performances whose collision--and an enmity that comes to look a bit like love--is some of the more edifying fun around.

Sharply paced, A Very English Scandal doesn't make the mistake of overstaying its welcome. The story is told in three tightly packaged installments that cover the endlessly curious ground efficiently and elegantly.