---
title: "Best Interests: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/best-interests/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/tv/best-interests"
critics_score: 78
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Best Interests (2023): what the critics said

Critics' score 78 from 7 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative.

The reviews are united, and warmly so. Every critic finds the series emotionally affecting and, more unusually, fair: the praise keeps returning to how even-handedly Jack Thorne’s script treats a family dilemma with no right answer, giving sympathy to everyone in it. The performances draw the most attention, with Michael Sheen and Sharon Horgan named in nearly every review, Sheen’s restraint in particular, and Alison Oliver singled out by more than one critic as the discovery of the piece.

The reservations are small and scattered rather than shared. The Guardian notes some repetition and slack across the run, and Paste, otherwise the most enthusiastic, concedes the story can tip into the overwrought. The Evening Standard feels Marnie herself is underused, though The i Paper credits the flashbacks with giving her a life beyond her illness. The spread is narrow, with no dissenters, and the lower scores come from early reviews that judged only the opening episode.

## The AV Club — Tim Lowery

Rating B+. 14 February 2025. 

The critic calls the series a top-shelf tearjerker that maintains empathy for everyone despite its heartbreaking story. They single out the powerful performances of Sharon Horgan, Michael Sheen, and Alison Oliver.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/best-interests-review-acorn-tv-bbc-series)

## Evening Standard — Daniel Keane

Rating 4/5. 9 June 2023. 

Keane finds the series emotionally mature and deeply affecting in its treatment of a difficult moral dilemma. He singles out Alison Oliver’s performance as a breath of fresh air, while noting that Marnie is underused.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/best-interests-bbc-one-review-michael-sheen-sharon-horgan-b1086770.html)

## The Guardian — Barbara Ellen

Rating ★★★★. 18 June 2023. 

Ellen finds the drama highly charged and emotionally affecting, despite some repetition and slack. She singles out Michael Sheen’s subtle performance and Jack Thorne’s ability to make the characters’ heartbreak speak.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/18/black-mirror-season-6-review-best-interests-jack-thorne-sharon-horgan-michael-sheen-the-full-monty-disney-count-abdulla)

## Radio Times — James Hibbs

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2023. 

The review finds the drama tactful in its handling of delicate subject matter. It singles out the two powerhouse performances as a particular strength.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/best-interests-bbc-review/)

## The i Paper — Emily Baker

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 June 2023. 

Baker finds the opening episode emotionally powerful and praises its even-handed handling of an agonising ethical conflict. She singles out the flashbacks that show Marnie’s joy and inner life beyond her illness.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/best-interests-bbc-one-review-sharon-horgan-michael-sheen-drama-parents-nightmares-2406042)

## Paste — Lacy Baugher Milas

Rating 9.0/10. 14 February 2025. 

The critic calls the series gutting, powerful, and necessary for its empathetic, even-handed treatment of an impossible family crisis. She especially praises the performances of Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen, while noting that the story can be overwrought.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/acorn-tv/best-interests-review)

## Digital Spy — Laura Jane Turner

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 June 2023. 

The critic calls the series heartbreaking, compelling and sensitive in its handling of an impossible family dilemma. She especially praises Michael Sheen and Sharon Horgan’s powerhouse performances.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a44171958/best-interests-review-michael-sheen/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/best-interests.md