I Am Ruth; A Spy Among Friends

“Although spare, the dialogue is nigh on perfect. People speak over, round, past and only occasionally to each other. And the arguments are things of malevolent beauty, like prowling beasts; moving in circles, attempts at communication going increasingly awry, viciousness descending until somehow it feels as if you are miles away from where you began.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“I wouldn’t say I enjoyed Dominic Savage’s unflinching anatomy of a woman watching her 17-year-old daughter disappear silently down a sinkhole of depression, OCD, social media abuse and self-harm, helpless to do anything about it. But I couldn’t stop watching it. This was a fine piece of drama that many parents will have watched in miserable recognition.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“With its harsh lighting and juddery camerawork, the film aimed for stark realism, and many scenes felt true to life. Less convincing was the improvised dialogue, which in practice meant a lot of repetition, and even the odd moment when the actors seemed to be stalling for time. Savage is doing something important, and unusual, with this series. But it’s not there yet.”
Orlando Bird, The Telegraph

“Kate Winslet, who was so outstanding in Mare Of Easttown, proved once again that she is magnificent as a traumatised parent in a TV role. She and her daughter were utterly convincing together, and I’d like to see them reunited in a longer series.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Such a heavy, important programme would feel futile if it weren’t for the powerhouse performances of Winslet and her daughter Mia Threapleton. I hope the emotional toll of screaming at each other on camera hasn’t put them off working together again.”
Emily Baker, The i

“A Spy Among Friends will garner rave reviews when it airs on mainstream ITV next year. It’s simply superb. The best British espionage drama since Alec Guinness in Tinker Tailor. Really. It’s that good.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Despite the overexposure of both Philby and Macintyre, there is much to enjoy about A Spy Among Friends. Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce are surely the most upmarket actors that ITV could afford to cast, and both bring their own delicacy to proceedings: Lewis, a brittle man reeling from betrayal, Pearce, a slippery one, dealing with the fallout. For an ITV drama, the production design, too, is unusually lavish.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent