‘Gripping’ Ruth Wilson BBC thriller about corpse hidden in house soars up Netflix top 10

Ruth Wilson stars as Magdalene laundries survivor Lorna Brady (Picture: BBC/Motive Pictures/Chris Barr) The real-life abuse of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland is a horror story in and of itself. The 2023 BBC drama The Woman in the Wall took those prison-like institutions for young women and constructed a murder investigation around them, set in a sleepy west Ireland town. Starring Ruth Wilson as survivor Lorna Brady, the six-parter has now been added to Netflix and started to gain traction in the top 10 ranking of TV shows. In a nod to the history that Ireland is still reckoning with, the drama sees a group of women come together to get the convent where they were kept as teens recognised as a Magdalene laundry. Named for Mary Magdalene, these church-run institutions became places parents sent their daughters to hide out-of-wedlock pregnancies – as is the case with Lorna. Get personalised updates on all things Netflix Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Newborns were regularly taken from their mothers and given to adoptive parents (as seen in the Judi Dench-starring film Philomena). Lorna decides to hide the corpse behind the wall of her home (Picture: BBC/Motive Pictures/Chris Barr) There were also shocking levels of infant mortality at these mother and baby homes. The drama sees Lorna, decades on from her time in the convent, trying to establish whether her daughter Agnes survived. She receives a letter from a stranger, reading ‘I know what happened to your child,’ with a phone number. But the following day, she finds the corpse of the woman behind the phone number in her home and decides to hide her behind the wall of her home (hence the show name). In tandem with all of this, Detective Colman (Daryl McCormack) is investigating the murder of a priest, which soon throws Lorna in his path. Metro’s thoughts on The Woman in the Wall Senior TV Reporter Rebecca Cook shares her take… The triumph of The Woman in the Wall is its genre bending. Lashings of psychological horror, with moments of black comedy and plenty of gothic undertones to what is, ostensibly, a crime drama. Best yet is how all of that is balanced with a thoughtful dramatisation of Lorna’s ordeal. Ruth Wilson is as brilliant as reviews pointed out, playing Lorna with the swagger of someone not to be underestimated. ‘People think that this couldn’t happen again. Then they forget that the last laundry closed in 1996. It wasn’t medieval times. The f**king Macarena was in the charts,’ says one of the compelling cast of characters. The details, choicely smattered through and aided by flashbacks, will leave you heartbroken and furious. Detective Colman (Daryl McCormack) is investigating the murder of a priest (Picture: BBC/Motive Pictures/Chris Barr) These church-run institutions were places parents sent their daughters to hide out-of-wedlock pregnancies (Picture: BBC/Motive Pictures/Chris Barr) The show was met with positive reviews from critics when it first debuted in 2023, toting up a 77 per cent rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. In the write-ups of the show, critics singled out Wilson’s performance as well as the handling of the serious subject matter. The Wall Street Journal said the show ‘tightens its grip on the viewer’s neck and [moves] him toward the edge of his seat, as if to correct his posture.’ Meanwhile, The Post NZ admitted that the show is not a ‘comfortable’ watch, but said it is ‘nonetheless addictive appointment viewing’. The Guardian review described it as ‘beautiful’ and ‘harrowing’, adding: ‘Such a rarity this – the gothic element, spilling out of Lorna’s mind and home, feels not like a bolt-on to add drama lacking elsewhere but an integral part of the story.’ Will you be watching The Woman in the Wall? Want to get bespoke updates on the TV shows you love? Sign up to Metro's TV newsletters and tell us which ones you can't get enough of Deals of the Day Wuka launches the UK’s first period-proof swimwear for heavy flows Bridgerton fans are rushing to buy these new Netflix-inspired perfumes now £12 off The affordable summer wardrobe update you'll wear from rooftop drinks to beach holidays The £7.99 lip balm beauty fans love for glossy, hydrated lips just dropped four new shades This Keskine hydrogel mask could fix your summer skin The Woman in the Wall is available to watch on Netflix. Arrow MORE: BBC wildlife presenter and comedian Bill Oddie dies aged 85 Arrow MORE: Irish broadcaster and BBC Radio host Gerry Kelly dies aged 77 Arrow MORE: Influencer Sara Gilson shot dead after accusing husband of being a paedophile in TikTok trend TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.