All eight reviews are positive, with most critics praising Red Riding’s disturbing portrayal of police corruption and violence in Yorkshire. The praise centres on its oppressive atmosphere, strong performances and adaptation of David Peace’s novels. Critics find the drama powerful in its attention to how evil operates through everyday connections and institutions. Its grimness is widely seen as purposeful, giving the crime stories weight beyond the question of who committed the offences.
The reservations concern clarity and plotting rather than ambition, though enthusiasm ranges from measured approval to strong praise. Several critics find the interlocking stories difficult to follow; The AV Club argues that their complexity overwhelms a rushed ending. Empire identifies archetypal plotting in the early instalments. NME offers a different reservation, finding the first episode uneven but the later chapters more successful, with added humanity. There is no outright dissenter, but agreement on the series’ strengths does not mean everyone finds it equally coherent.