--- title: "Southcliffe: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/southcliffe/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/southcliffe" critics_score: 72 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." --- # Southcliffe (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 7 reviews: 4 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics receive Southcliffe warmly, and the praise clusters around Sean Harris as the gunman, whose performance the reviews describe as convincing and sinister in roughly equal measure. The wider cast is credited with holding the four parts together, and the same qualities come up again and again: an unflinching handling of the aftermath of a mass shooting, a stark and rather beautiful picture of the town, and a sound design one critic finds unusually realistic. Nobody treats it as anything other than serious work. The reservations are about endurance and structure. The Telegraph wonders whether viewers will put up with such unrelenting bleakness from the first hour onward. Variety finds the nonlinear structure imprecise, and The Hollywood Reporter goes furthest, calling it superior middlebrow television with stilted dialogue and characters that lack depth. The spread is moderate rather than wide: no review is negative, but three of the seven stop short of a recommendation. ## IndieWire — Erik McClanahan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 2014. The series stands out as one of the strongest new offerings available on Netflix. It delivers a powerful, unflinching look at the aftermath of tragedy in a small community. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-southcliffe-may-be-the-best-new-series-on-netflix-you-havent-yet-watched-271862/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2013. The series is brilliantly done and frighteningly good, with Sean Harris totally convincing as the shooter. The critic singles out its realistic sound design and starkly beautiful depiction of the town and events for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/aug/04/southcliffe-i-love-my-country-tv-review) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. Festival review. The critic finds it an uneven but powerful four-part study of a small English village reeling from a mass shooting, with searing performances sustaining the work despite narrative imprecisions in the nonlinear structure. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/global/film-review-southcliffe-1200732572/) ## The Times — Andrew Billen Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2013. The series explores how ordinary people commit terrible acts in a small town setting, with strong performances including Sean Harris as the gunman. The critic highlights the focus on dysfunctional characters and the unglamorous reality of the violence rather than any simplistic explanation. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/london-travel/weekend-tv-southcliffe-kqc8kkpzg6k) ## The Telegraph — Benji Wilson Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2013. The episode establishes strong poise and pacing with Sean Harris's sinister performance as the deluded ex-squaddie. The critic notes the sustained grimness ahead and questions whether viewers will tolerate such unrelenting bleakness from the outset. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10219739/Southcliffe-episode-one-Channel-4-review.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Dalton Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2013. Festival review. It is quality television but not great cinema: a superior middlebrow drama with high-caliber cast, crisp visuals and sustained bleak mood, though characters lack layered depth and dialogue often feels stilted. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/southcliffe-toronto-review-622518/) ## Digital Spy — Alex Fletcher Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2013. The first two episodes prove utterly captivating despite the bleak subject matter. The series is unflinching and bold, with standout performances, making it one of the scariest and best TV shows of the year. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/alex-fletchers-tv-review/a505630/doctor-who-live-southcliffe-i-love-my-country-this-weeks-tv/) --- © 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/southcliffe.md