| The Sister | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller |
| Written by | Neil Cross |
| Directed by | Niall MacCormick |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 47–76 minutes |
| Production company | Euston Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 26 October (2020-10-26) – 29 October 2020 (2020-10-29) |
The Sister is a Britishpsychological thriller television series directed byNiall MacCormick,[1] and adapted byNeil Cross from his novelBurial.[2] The four-part series starsRussell Tovey,[3]Bertie Carvel,Amrita Acharia andNina Toussaint-White[4][5] and was first broadcast onITV from 26 to 29 October 2020.[citation needed] It was released as aHulu original in 2021. The original title wasBecause the Night.[6]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Gary Badger | Neil Cross | 26 October 2020 (2020-10-26) | 7.01 | |
Nathan has been hiding a dark secret but, one rainy evening, an unwelcome face from his past knocks on his door. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Niall MacCormick | Neil Cross | 27 October 2020 (2020-10-27) | 5.48 | |
Nathan realises his loved ones are at risk as secrets are exposed and a surprising link is revealed between past events and the present. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Niall MacCormick | Neil Cross | 28 October 2020 (2020-10-28) | 5.32 | |
The truth is revealed as Nathan and Bob go digging in the woods. And just when Nathan hopes his long nightmare might be over, Bob inflicts another twist of the knife. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Niall MacCormick | Neil Cross | 29 October 2020 (2020-10-29) | 5.26 | |
Bob reveals his true intentions, and Nathan fights back with everything he has. But how far is he prepared to go? | |||||||
The series received generally positive reviews from critics.Lucy Mangan ofThe Guardian described the drama as "a supernaturally-tinged dose of nail-bitery, doled out in suspenseful chunks". She praised the acting of lead Russell Tovey, whose portrayal of an "Everyman, suffering as an essentially good person trapped in a worsening hell not of his own making" made the viewing "absolutely agonising" and his depiction of guilt "genuinely moving". She considered the supernatural element "well-handled, even if I wish the connection between ghosts et al and our internal but very real horrors had been more fully explored rather than merely hinted at."[7] Sean O'Grady ofThe Independent thought that, although the drama is filmed in "horror-movie cliché" of "dark, rainy nights in shadowy woods with ghoulish dialogue" that made it "ideal for near-Halloween viewing", the "strength of the cast and the very clever, subtle way" Neil Cross told the story saved it from being risible, and Cross had achieved the aim of making "the viewers sleep with the lights on".[8]