---
title: "Riot Women"
year: 2025
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/riot-women"
fi1m_id: "riot-women"
imdb_id: "tt32315888"
tmdb_id: 271938
wikidata_id: "Q126934903"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 78
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-11"
updated: "2026-09-16T01:20:13.726042+00:00"
region: "EC"
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."
---

# Riot Women (2025)

Created by Sally Wainwright · 59m · Drama

## Identity

Riot Women

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/riot-women
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** riot-women
- **IMDb ID:** tt32315888
- **TMDB ID:** 271938
- **Wikidata ID:** Q126934903
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32315888/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/271938, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126934903

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 78 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Five women have had enough, and forming a punk band saves them repeating themselves

> Sally Wainwright’s drama about middle-aged women forming a punk band is funny, angry and worth the noise. Joanna Scanlan and Rosalie Craig make it matter, even when the writing insists on explaining what their performances already tell us.

## Synopsis

Five middle-aged women form a punk band as the pressures of midlife leave them looking for somewhere to put their anger. Making music brings them together while menopause, caring responsibilities and the feeling of being overlooked remain part of their lives. Joanna Scanlan plays Beth, Rosalie Craig is Kitty, and Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne and Amelia Bullmore play Holly, Jess and Yvonne. Written by Sally Wainwright and directed by Wainwright and Amanda Brotchie, *Riot Women* follows the women as they make room for the band alongside the demands already placed on them.

## Review

Sally Wainwright’s *Riot Women* gives five middle-aged women a punk band and plenty to be angry about. We recommend it for the performances and the humour, with a warning that the writing occasionally turns a conversation into a lecture. Menopause, caring for other people and the experience of being overlooked are allowed to occupy a drama rather than supply a passing joke. The band brings those frustrations together and gives the women something to do for themselves.

Joanna Scanlan’s Beth and Rosalie Craig’s Kitty give the series its strongest reason to keep watching. Scanlan makes the pressures of midlife feel substantial, while Craig gives Kitty’s disorderly energy enough warmth to keep her from becoming merely exhausting. We believe in their anger because neither performance settles for demonstrating that the character has a right to it. There is room for awkwardness and humour, which does more for the women than another speech about how badly they have been treated.

Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne and Amelia Bullmore play Holly, Jess and Yvonne, and the ensemble matters as much as the two most conspicuous performances. The pleasure comes from allowing different women to be angry together without making them equally tidy or equally likeable. We were moved by them making music together. After all the pressure to cope, the sight of these women giving time to something they want feels like a release, and the band earns its place in the drama.

Wainwright writes about menopause as a daily concern, alongside the demands of caring for other people. The comedy allows irritation to be funny without making the women ridiculous, an important distinction when we are spending so much time with people who have had enough. Anger would become tiring if it were their only available response, and the humour keeps them interesting. The jokes also make the darker material easier to stay with; the programme can be upsetting without becoming an evening of punishment.

Wainwright and Amanda Brotchie direct, and the series has the energy to carry its busy mixture of personal troubles and music. The changes between humour and distress generally feel right for characters whose problems will not politely wait until they have finished enjoying themselves. There is a risk of giving them more trouble than the drama can properly consider. At its strongest, though, the programme gives the performers enough room to make each difficulty feel personal, rather than simply adding another issue to be discussed.

The difficulty comes when Wainwright seems unwilling to let a point stand without explaining it again. Dialogue about women being overlooked can become sermon-like, and the male characters are too often thinly drawn to make the exchanges interesting. More particular men would give those arguments a chance to surprise us, instead of merely confirming what the writing has already made clear. When the dialogue spells out who is right so insistently, even these actors have to work to make a confrontation believable.

As a band drama, *Riot Women* makes the company as appealing as the prospect of playing music. The women’s other responsibilities give the familiar story of starting again some worthwhile complications. We would have preferred fewer explanations and more confidence in a cast who need little help making the material count. Make time for it if funny, difficult company appeals, and allow for the occasional speech that could have ended sooner.

*Fi1m score 80, published 11 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like Riot Women, and several like it a great deal. The praise clusters on the ensemble: Joanna Scanlan and Rosalie Craig are named again and again, Craig’s chaotic Kitty in particular. Reviewers credit Sally Wainwright with making the bottled-up anger of five midlife women, and the punk band they form to let it out, both funny and serious, and more than one puts it beside Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax. The attention to menopause, caregiving and feeling invisible is widely thought overdue.

The reservations are about subtlety. Even admiring reviews concede the messaging tips into sermon at times. Variety finds the writing heavy-handed, the male characters thin and the episodes too long, and The Telegraph, the one outright dissenter, finds it unsubtle to the point of hectoring on the menopause, cast notwithstanding. The spread is wide: seven of nine are firmly positive, and the two doubters object to what the enthusiasts forgive.

## Straight answers

**Is Riot Women worth watching?**

*Riot Women* is worth watching for anyone who wants funny, difficult company with five middle-aged women, and we scored it 80. Joanna Scanlan and Rosalie Craig make the anger and the music count, and the ensemble is a pleasure. Allow for Sally Wainwright's habit of explaining a point the performances have already made, and for male characters who are too thinly drawn.

**How long is Riot Women, and what is it rated?**

*Riot Women* has episodes of about 59m. It is a drama series.

**Where can I watch Riot Women in Ecuador?**

*Riot Women* is not on any streaming or rental service in Ecuador at the moment. It is available in 3 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Riot Women compare to The Commitments?**

*Riot Women* and [*The Commitments*](https://film.one/film/the-commitments) both follow a quarrelsome band discovering that playing music does not tidy up the rest of life. Alan Parker's film is the lighter and warmer of the two, carried by its songs and its unruly company, though a little too polished. Wainwright's series is angrier and more crowded with midlife trouble, and the better choice if you want the band's problems to weigh as much as its music.

**What should I watch after Riot Women?**

After *Riot Women*, try [*The Commitments*](https://film.one/film/the-commitments) (1991, Fi1m 82): A fractious band finds that making music rarely makes life simpler. Then [*Wild Rose*](https://film.one/film/wild-rose) (2018, Fi1m 82): For another woman trying to fit musical ambition around existing responsibilities.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Radio Times**, Abby Robinson (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it Wainwright's most empowering and uplifting work yet, a drama that champions new beginnings, sisterhood and women reclaiming their voices through music and friendship. It singles out the transformative power of the band for the five middle-aged protagonists dealing with menopause, family pressures and feeling invisible. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/sally-wainwright-riot-women-feminist-comment/)
- **The AV Club**, Jenna Scherer (A-): The critic calls the series a fierce, funny, and profound ensemble dramedy about middle-aged women forming a punk band as an outlet for rage and reinvention. Strong performances, especially from Joanna Scanlan and Rosalie Craig, anchor the exploration of menopause, community, and dark themes balanced with comedy. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/riot-women-review-tv-britbox)
- **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (90/100, inferred): This high-pedigree TV drama about midlife women who form a punk band is up there with Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax. It is rich, plot-packed, and perfectly seasoned with humour. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/12/riot-women-review-sally-wainwright-menopausal-punk-tv-drama-bbc)
- **The i Paper**, Julia Raeside (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Sally Wainwright’s series for capturing the bottled-up rage and midlife pressures of its five female protagonists through their formation of a punk band. She highlights the strong ensemble performances, especially Rosalie Craig as the chaotic Kitty, and notes how the show empowers viewers by making menopausal women feel seen. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/riot-women-rocket-fuelled-middle-aged-female-rage-3971726)
- **Evening Standard**, Vicky Jessop (85/100, inferred): Wainwright’s drama is a glorious feminist roar and battle cry for overlooked middle-aged women who form a punk band to smash the patriarchy and fight invisibility. It is not subtle but features excellent character work and performances, especially from Joanna Scanlan and Rosalie Craig. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/riot-women-review-bbc-one-sally-wainwright-b1252542.html)
- **The Times**, Carol Midgley (★★★★☆): Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women started with a dramatic punch and kept up the raucously high energy. It is an absolute banger with brio and “f*** you” attitude, though some messages became a bit sermonish. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/riot-women-review-bbc-br0knqc6k)
- **Variety**, Aramide Tinubu (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a thoughtful if imperfect look at midlife women reclaiming their voices via a punk band, praising the heartfelt tone, strong performances, and focus on overlooked issues like menopause and caregiving. She criticizes heavy-handed writing, excessive violence, one-dimensional male characters, and overstretched episodes. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/riot-women-review-britbox-1236629458/)
- **The Telegraph** (30/100, inferred): Riot Women is a rampage against middle age and the menopause with a top-drawer cast, but it is crushingly unsubtle and heavy-handed with the menopause stuff. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/riot-women-bbc-one-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Laura Jane Turner (85/100, inferred): The critic recommends Riot Women as essential viewing that captures similar qualities to Happy Valley through its dark tone, ensemble cast of women, and blend of drama and comedy. They highlight the authentic portrayal of midlife experiences and the show's ability to deliver emotional depth without being miserable. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a69016467/riot-women-bbc-review/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Sally Wainwright
- **Creator:** Sally Wainwright
- **Director:** Sally Wainwright, Amanda Brotchie
- **Writer:** Sally Wainwright
- **Cast:** Joanna Scanlan as Beth; Rosalie Craig as Kitty; Tamsin Greig as Holly; Lorraine Ashbourne as Jess; Amelia Bullmore as Yvonne; Taj Atwal as Nisha; Erin Ainsworth as Heidi; Anne Reid as Nancy
- **Runtime:** 59m
- **Release (Ecuador):** 12 October 2025
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js9KPL49W3g

## Where to watch in Ecuador

Not streaming, renting or buying in Ecuador at the last check.

Also available in: CA, GB, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Commitments* (1991), Fi1m 82: A fractious band finds that making music rarely makes life simpler. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-commitments.md)
- *Linda Linda Linda* (2005): Another band discovering how much friendship depends on showing up for rehearsals.
- *Wild Rose* (2018), Fi1m 82: For another woman trying to fit musical ambition around existing responsibilities. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-rose.md)
- *Better Things* (2016): Motherhood, work and middle age, handled with humour and little sentimentality.
- *Antonia's Line* (1995): A community of women makes room for independence, affection and awkwardness.

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