--- title: "Taboo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/taboo/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/taboo" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 10 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." --- # Taboo (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 10 reviews: 4 positive, 4 mixed, 2 negative. The consensus on Taboo is mixed, with praise clustering around Tom Hardy’s commanding, theatrical performance and the grime of its period setting. Most critics find something compelling in Hardy’s James Delaney, even when the story tests their patience. The detailed production design and Kristoffer Nyholm’s atmospheric direction also earn broad approval. For the more enthusiastic reviews, the strangeness and brooding intensity help make a slow revenge tale absorbing. The divide is over how much those strengths compensate for thin characterisation, prolonged secrecy and sluggish pacing. Reactions range widely: Digital Spy finds the series absorbing despite its excesses, while Variety sees heavy-handed gloom with too little substance. Its treatment of history divides critics too. Den of Geek praises an unflinching examination of racism, whereas Variety objects to the vague handling of race and Africa. The central reservation is that Taboo spends too long cultivating mystery without developing enough beneath it. ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 January 2017. The series is a vicious and uber-masculine period drama centered on Tom Hardy's commanding, powder-keg performance as the enigmatic James Delaney. It highlights Hardy's magnetic presence and the show's intense, macho energy. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/taboo-review-tom-hardy-fx-tv-show-1201765065/) ## The AV Club — Esther Zuckerman Rating C+. 10 January 2017. Taboo struggles with thinly drawn characters and an over-reliance on teasing secrets rather than developing them, making the limited series feel frustrating despite its intriguing premise. The visuals and historical elements stand out as strengths under director Kristoffer Nyholm. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/taboo-is-too-enthralled-by-its-own-secrets-1798190086) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2017. Taboo is a vivid but pokey miniseries whose hypnotic atmosphere and weirdness make it more enjoyable to ponder than to watch. It singles out the fanatically detailed production design and Tom Hardy's intense, theatrical lead performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/01/taboo-is-more-fun-to-think-about-than-to-watch.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 January 2017. The review notes that the dark, brooding series has enough intrigue to sustain interest thanks largely to Hardy, while observing it is not particularly action-oriented or sexy in its early episodes. It highlights the mixed results of the mystical elements and Hardy's compelling presence as strengths amid slower pacing. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/dailyedition/2017-01-05/961379/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2017. The BBC’s new historical drama is seductive and atmospheric, if completely baffling. Tom Hardy brings extra swagger to Regency London as the menacing James Delaney, though the plot and dialogue can feel portentous and stiflingly male. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/16/taboo-review-tom-hardy-swagger-regency-london) ## Variety — Sonia Saraiya Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2017. The critic finds the series ponderous and heavy-handed, wasting its talented cast on excessive chiaroscuro, angst, and self-important grit without substance or a unifying vision. It singles out the thin material, vague handling of race and Africa, and over-the-top brooding as major flaws despite strong production values. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/review-taboo-tom-hardy-fx-1201949054/) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★. 5 January 2017. The series is a strange, slow-burning revenge tale set in gritty early-1800s London, where Tom Hardy’s James Delaney schemes against powerful forces over a valuable piece of land. It features strong performances, atmospheric direction by Kristoffer Nyholm for the first half, and a polished BBC-style production that balances weirdness with restraint. [Read the review](https://collider.com/taboo-review-tom-hardy/) ## Digital Spy — Morgan Jeffery Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2017. Taboo is an utterly ridiculous but totally absorbing grimy revenge thriller that serves as a bold, no-holds-barred antidote to glitzy primetime fare. It singles out Tom Hardy's supremely theatrical and watchable performance as the standout element that sets the tone. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a818388/taboo-tv-show-review-episode-1-tom-hardy-bbc-one-fx/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2017. Taboo is a grimy, intriguing new BBC period drama featuring Tom Hardy as a mythic amalgam of 19th-century literary leads in a tale of revenge and empire. It praises the script's unflinching look at the era's racism and the director's capture of mud and insalubriousness. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/taboo-episode-1-review-shovels-and-keys-2/) ## The Ringer — Rob Harvilla Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2017. The critic finds Taboo a slog that takes too long to build momentum, intimidating viewers into reverence it may not deserve. They single out the sumptuous grime and atmosphere helmed by director Kristoffer Nyholm for praise, while noting the restraint in depicting violence. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/01/10/tv/fx-taboo-review-tom-hardy-c81c6b0e3395) --- © 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/taboo.md