--- title: "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 8 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." --- # How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics welcome How to Get to Heaven from Belfast as a witty mystery-comedy whose strongest asset is the friendship at its centre. Praise clusters around Lisa McGee’s dry Northern Irish humour, the central trio’s lived-in chemistry and the cast’s handling of silliness alongside more adult concerns. The Guardian singles out Saoirse-Monica Jackson’s performance, while several reviews find emotional weight in the friendships rather than just comic relief. Reservations concern the machinery surrounding those relationships: dual timelines, elaborate intrigue, uneven pacing and outlandish situations that do not always land. The spread is wide despite the broadly positive consensus. Paste finds an entertaining but overcomplicated series that falls short of Derry Girls’ comic assurance; NME is more firmly opposed, judging the plotting derivative and the shifts in tone unconvincing. The main divide is over whether the mystery sustains the comedy or gets in its way. ## The Telegraph — Anita Singh Rating 5/5. 12 February 2026. The critic calls this a madcap chase through rural Ireland that is a hilarious thriller and celebration of friendship, with the comic brilliance of Derry Girls. They single out the twist at the end of episode one and the deft script and cracking cast. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-netflix-review/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2026. The critic praises this frenetic, witty murder-mystery caper from Lisa McGee as a switchbacking rush of joy with verve, acuity and havoc. They single out the sensational performance from Saoirse-Monica Jackson for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/12/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-if-you-see-nothing-else-this-year-watch-this) ## Empire — David Opie Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2026. McGee's signature comedy and the central trio's lived-in chemistry and Northern Irish humour shine, making the show worth savouring despite some outlandish scenarios landing better than others. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast/) ## Evening Standard — Vicky Jessop Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2026. The critic finds the show crackling with dry wit and bonkers gags while exploring complicated female friendships in more adult territory than Derry Girls. They single out the bittersweet flashbacks and dance scenes for praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-netflix-lisa-mcgee-b1269811.html) ## Variety — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2026. The series is a level up in scale and ambition from Derry Girls but sometimes strains under the extra elements of dual timelines and deadly intrigue; it never loses the infectious appeal of the platonic chemistry at its core. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-derry-girls-1236652592/) ## IndieWire — Ben Travers 12 February 2026. The critic praises the series as a rollicking mystery from the Derry Girls creator, highlighting the lifelong friends digging into a suspicious death and the blend of genres. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-derry-girls-netflix-mystery-1235178884/) ## The Times Rating ★★★★☆. 12 February 2026. The critic says Derry Girls fans won’t be let down by this mystery-comedy that tackles grown-up themes with unadulterated silliness, like Agatha Christie meets Marian Keyes. They single out the effortless twists and emotional heart amid the high jinks. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-move-over-derry-girls-clfdglfn2) ## Digital Spy — Laura Jane Turner Rating 4/5. 12 February 2026. The critic calls it a brilliant must-watch mystery and more grown-up Derry Girls, praising the distinctive genre-bending story, strong female characters, and soundtrack while noting some pacing issues. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a70312060/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-netflix/) ## Paste — Saloni Gajjar Rating B. 12 February 2026. The critic calls it an entertaining but bumpy ride as a buddy dramedy with too many detours that does not reach Derry Girls' comic heights or narrative confidence. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-netflix) ## NME — James Mottram Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2026. The critic finds the series uneven and derivative, struggling in the long shadow of Derry Girls with a convoluted blackly comic murder-mystery plot that feels quirky for quirky's sake and tonally inconsistent. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-derry-girls-lisa-mcgee-3927735) --- © 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/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast.md