Shardlake; Stalking: State of Fear

“The plot unfolds with brisk efficiency, with enough exposition – lightly worn – to keep those who are new to Tudor politics up to speed without ruining it for those who already know their reformists from their recusants, and enough unexpected (to those who do not know the books) twists to keep interest thoroughly piqued throughout. This is a hugely well-executed and enjoyable addition to the Tudor drama canon.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“There are various crimes in this monastery where lechery and self-preservation have also run rampant. The unravelling is well done, even delivering a little love story along the way. I could have done with ten more minutes of Sean Bean, but you can’t have everything.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“It’s a solid, intelligent offering that never quite kicks into a higher gear. Disney has billed it as ‘thrilling’, which it isn’t. The political backdrop adds an interesting extra layer to the plot, though.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Where CJ Sansom’s novels are lauded as both exceptional historical fiction and gripping mysteries, the series doesn’t reach dizzy heights on either front. The coastal monastery should be a chilling setting but never quite shakes the sense of being a film set, or perhaps the Tudor Land area of a Disney theme park.”
Rachael Sigee, The i

“The premise is excellent and the set-up compelling; the trio of Shardlake, Barak and Cromwell a satisfying guide through the savagery of 16th-century England. But once the murders start and the focus turns to a community tormented by an unknown killer, the show slips into something muddier and more generic.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent

“This bleak film was a bit more than ‘my stalking nightmare’, its muted style a contrast to its unmuted anger about police in England and Wales still not having a consistent approach to a growing national problem.”
James Jackson, The Times

“Whether Stalking: State of Fear, a superb, chastening film talking to three victims of stalking, was always going to come out this week we don’t know. But emerging a fortnight after Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, a hit drama about a real-life stalking case, made it achingly current.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph

“In its unflinching, forensic gaze, the show did essential work in simply taking women seriously and attending to their stories with measured and diligent interest. We can only hope that it pushes police to begin doing the same.”
Emily Watkins, The i