“This is a gripping, disturbing documentary”
“This is a gripping, disturbing documentary. It makes some shocking allegations about Jonathan Jacob Meijer’s deceptions and the third episode suggests that some other ‘mass donors’ of sperm – yes, it is a thing apparently – might have sinister reasons for donating far and wide. However, we never really learn very much about Meijer or his real motivations. Unsurprisingly, he did not participate in the documentary.”
Neil Armstrong, The i
“The film-makers try too hard to turn this into a Tinder Swindler-style tale of women exacting revenge, and there is a late twist. But even without that it’s a decent tale that prompts bigger questions about the donor industry.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph
“There are no solid conclusions about his motivations. One woman suggests attention-seeking after being a child overlooked in a large family, which you feel is very generous of her. Some of the women suggest addiction to the power and a growing God complex; others proffer simple narcissism and male entitlement writ large as the main drivers. Certainly his vicious response when they try to get answers from him suggests that these swam not far below the charming surface.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian
“Inheriting the Castle doesn’t give us any insight into the inner lives of Justina or Alexia; we are left lost in the woods. This is great for the fairytale vibe, but not much good for anything else.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian
“Film-maker Martín Benchimol apparently spent several years getting to know them, although we are left none the wiser about Justina’s inner life. Instead, the pair become more like components of a bigger mood piece, one helped by a beguiling orchestral score and the mansion’s shadowy interiors and misty outdoor vistas — a documentary defined less by eccentricity than a soulful quality.”
James Jackson, The Times
“The moodily surreal Storyville documentary Inheriting The Castle is 75 minutes steeped in loneliness. Justi spends her life stubbornly waiting for a prince who will never arrive.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail
“You get the idea: this is the sort of simple series that our smaller free-to-air channels do well — a straightforward bit of home history, seasoned with anecdotes, fronted by peppy presenters. The entire series probably cost less than, say, House of the Dragon’s hair-styling budget. Who needs frills when the London Tube presents such a trove of atmospheric history with its forgotten subterranean passageways. One such disused tunnel had a sign at its shadowy entrance declaring, ‘Beware: even ghosts need valid tickets’.”
James Jackson, The Times
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