---
title: "The Essex Serpent"
year: 2022
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-essex-serpent"
fi1m_id: "the-essex-serpent"
imdb_id: "tt12976224"
tmdb_id: 108171
wikidata_id: "Q105982644"
fi1m_score: 73
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-10-22"
updated: "2026-10-22T03:20:06.350604+00:00"
region: "FI"
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."
---

# The Essex Serpent (2022)

Created by Clio Barnard · KAVI K16 · Drama

## Identity

The Essex Serpent

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/the-essex-serpent
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** the-essex-serpent
- **IMDb ID:** tt12976224
- **TMDB ID:** 108171
- **Wikidata ID:** Q105982644
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12976224/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/108171, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105982644

**Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 74 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* A great deal of yearning in weather that calls for a sensible coat

> *The Essex Serpent* is an absorbing Gothic romance with a strong cast and an uneven pace. The marshes are unsettling enough to keep us watching, though the central relationship leaves some promising people waiting for attention.

## Synopsis

Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes) and Will Ransome (Tom Hiddleston) are drawn towards each other in Essex, where the possibility of a serpent adds unease to the marshes. Around them are Dr Luke Garrett (Frank Dillane), Stella Ransome (Clémence Poésy) and Martha (Hayley Squires). Romantic attachments compete with the question of what might be out in the landscape. The six-part adaptation of Sarah Perry’s novel follows the central pair and the people around them, moving between a love story and the threat associated with the serpent.

## Review

*The Essex Serpent* is worth watching for its actors and its uneasy sense of place, provided a Gothic romance is what we have come for. Clio Barnard directs this adaptation of Sarah Perry’s novel with more interest in attraction than in providing regular shocks. That emphasis suits the material, though the six episodes sometimes give longing more time than it needs. The trouble comes when the series asks its atmosphere to sustain stretches that need a sharper exchange or a firmer decision.

Claire Danes makes Cora Seaborne absorbing even when the writing seems too pleased with her. There is force in the performance, and enough restlessness to stop Cora Seaborne becoming merely the person whose feelings everyone else must accommodate. Tom Hiddleston’s Will Ransome is more restrained, which gives their attraction some friction rather than simply presenting two attractive people for inspection. We believed the longing between them. We were less persuaded that it deserved quite so much of the story, especially when the supporting cast kept suggesting other people worth spending time with.

Frank Dillane, as Dr Luke Garrett, and Hayley Squires, as Martha, are particularly useful here. Their slyness interrupts the earnestness without turning the programme into a comedy, and makes the company feel less uniformly preoccupied with its own suffering. We wanted more of them because they suggest interests and appetites beyond the principal romance. When that romance crowds out the surrounding stories, the loss is noticeable: these performers have made the supposed sidelines inviting.

David Raedeker’s cinematography makes the Essex marshes a convincing setting for the fear of a serpent. The fog makes it difficult to be certain what the landscape contains, without requiring the programme to produce a fresh alarm every few minutes. We felt uneasy looking across those marshes. The uncertainty in the image did it, and Clio Barnard is right to let that discomfort persist. Alice Normington’s production design gives the period setting a convincing solidity, although its richness can make the less eventful passages rather too comfortable to look at.

The score, credited to Herdís Stefánsdóttir and Dustin O’Halloran, swells around the drama, sometimes giving it more urgency than the writing has earned. It helps carry the shifts between unease and yearning, but occasionally insists on an emotion the actors were already communicating. Editors George Cragg, Lucia Zucchetti and Napoleon Stratogiannakis allow the performances time to settle. The slowness is often rewarding, though the changes of focus can leave a promising thread waiting too long, and the six-part length starts to feel generous.

This is a programme for an evening when a look or a hesitation can be allowed to matter. Anyone hoping that folk horror means a steady supply of scares should make another choice. Its pleasures depend on patience with people who do not always understand their own feelings, and that patience will be tested. There is no obligation to watch all six episodes in one determined sitting.

*Fi1m score 73, published 22 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome The Essex Serpent as an atmospheric Gothic romance, with praise clustering around its performances and sense of place. Claire Danes draws consistent approval, while many reviews find persuasive chemistry between her and Tom Hiddleston. The foggy Essex marshes, eerie visual detail and careful production design help sustain the unease. For much of the consensus, the series balances human feeling with folk horror, making its period setting feel inhabited rather than merely decorative.

Reservations centre on pace and emphasis: some critics find the opening slow, the tonal shifts frustrating or the romance too dominant at the expense of other storylines. Others think the ideas need fuller exploration, though a few explicitly praise the pacing. The spread is wide but overwhelmingly positive, with The Guardian the lone negative review. It finds the drama cold and sluggish and Hiddleston miscast, while still admiring Danes, the women’s performances and Clio Barnard’s atmospheric direction.

## Straight answers

**Is The Essex Serpent worth watching?**

*The Essex Serpent* is worth watching for its strong cast and unsettling marshes, provided we come for Gothic romance rather than regular scares; we scored it 73. The central attraction is convincing, but the uneven pace and the neglect of some inviting supporting characters make patience a requirement.

**How long is The Essex Serpent, and what is it rated?**

*The Essex Serpent* is rated K16 by the KAVI in Finland. It is a drama series.

**Where can I watch The Essex Serpent in Finland?**

*The Essex Serpent* is streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in Finland. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Essex Serpent, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Essex Serpent* has a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15. Its frightening material relies on foggy marshes and uncertainty about a possible serpent rather than a steady supply of shocks. We recommend it to older teenagers and adults interested in Gothic romance, though that emphasis should not be taken as assurance about violent content.

**How does The Essex Serpent compare to Picnic at Hanging Rock?**

*The Essex Serpent* is more concerned with romantic longing than [*Picnic at Hanging Rock*](https://film.one/film/picnic-at-hanging-rock), which we recommend more warmly for its unsettling mystery. Both let an eerie landscape sustain uncertainty, but the series sometimes asks atmosphere to cover slow passages. We favour the film for sustained unease and the series for viewers drawn to actors exploring attraction.

**Is The Essex Serpent based on a true story or a book?**

*The Essex Serpent* is a six-part adaptation of Sarah Perry’s novel, rather than a true-story dramatisation. We find its emphasis falls on attraction and the people surrounding the central couple, with the possible serpent supplying unease. Knowing the book is not essential to approaching it as a Gothic romance, though we make no claim for its fidelity to the novel.

**What should I watch after The Essex Serpent?**

After *The Essex Serpent*, try [*Picnic at Hanging Rock*](https://film.one/film/picnic-at-hanging-rock) (1975, Fi1m 88): A missing group and an eerie landscape, with uncertainty allowed to linger. Then [*Bright Star*](https://film.one/film/bright-star) (2009, Fi1m 82): A patient period romance giving physical detail as much weight as dialogue; and [*The Returned*](https://film.one/tv/the-returned) (2012, Fi1m 85): French supernatural drama with equal concern for uncanny events and ordinary attachments.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Empire**, Jordan King (85/100, inferred): King finds the series enthralling, beautifully human, and rich in ideas, despite a slow start. He particularly praises the palpable chemistry between Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, captured in Clio Barnard’s sensual direction. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/the-essex-serpent/)
- **The AV Club**, David Cote (B+): The review finds the series a humane, engaging balance of folk horror and romance, though some elements feel labored. It praises Claire Danes’s performance and the moody, atmospheric visual design. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/tv-review-the-essex-serpent-apple-tv-plus-claire-danes-1848907862)
- **The i Paper**, Emily Baker (80/100, inferred): Baker finds the adaptation engrossing and unsettling, and says it does justice to the novel. She particularly praises Tom Hiddleston’s performance and the series’ sustained suspense around the serpent. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-essex-serpent-is-an-engrossing-unsettling-adaptation-thats-sure-to-be-yet-another-hit-for-apple-tv-1626633)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the series ultimately worthwhile despite frustrating shifts in tone and focus. She praises its striking landscapes and the compelling performances of Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-essex-serpent-tv-review-1235145418/)
- **IndieWire**, Steve Greene (B-): Greene finds the series lush but limited, with its ideas often left underexplored. He praises the rich sense of place and time, while faulting the story for remaining too much on the surface. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/the-essex-serpent-review-tom-hiddleston-claire-danes-apple-show-1234724523/)
- **Radio Times**, Flora Carr (70/100, inferred): Carr presents the adaptation as an unusually distinctive period drama. The available page text offers no specific praise beyond that characterization. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/essex-serpent-apple-tv-review/)
- **Variety**, Caroline Framke (70/100, inferred): Framke finds the adaptation rich and nuanced, though it sometimes slips into ill-fitting melodrama. She praises its eerie, textured visuals and production design, while faulting the romance for eclipsing other promising storylines. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/essex-serpent-review-tom-hiddleston-claire-danes-1235265273/)
- **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (30/100, inferred): Mangan finds the adaptation cold and sluggish, with its central romance undermined by Tom Hiddleston’s miscasting. She praises Claire Danes as magnificent and says the women’s performances and Clio Barnard’s atmospheric direction stand out. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/13/the-essex-serpent-review-claire-danes-is-magnificent-unlike-tom-hiddleston)
- **Collider**, Carly Lane (A): Carly Lane praises the series as an atmospheric Gothic romance that delivers on its performances and emotional journeys. She singles out Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston’s yearning performances and the foggy Essex marshes, while noting that Cora can feel idealized. [Read](https://collider.com/essex-serpent-review-tom-hiddleston-claire-danes-apple-tv-plus/)
- **/Film**, Valerie Ettenhofer (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a captivating, spellbinding Gothic romance, though its deliberate pace may not suit everyone. She praises its eerie, beautifully filmed atmosphere and the score’s swelling contribution to the drama. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/861362/the-essex-serpent-review-a-beast-hunt-gives-way-to-a-gorgeous-eerie-gothic-romance/)
- **Consequence**, Clint Worthington (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation rich and well paced, capturing the novel’s pensive Gothic spirit. They praise the cast and the filmmaking’s tactile sensitivity. [Read](https://consequence.net/2022/05/the-essex-serpent-review-tom-hiddleston-claire-danes/)
- **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (4/5): The review finds the adaptation atmospheric, transporting, and unusually modern in feel, despite occasional flattening of the novel’s dialogue and characters. It especially praises Frank Dillane and Hayley Squires for injecting slyness and contemporary energy into the earnest drama. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-essex-serpent-review-gothic-tom-hiddleston/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Clio Barnard
- **Director:** Clio Barnard
- **Writer:** Anna Symon, Jess Brittain, Clio Barnard, Elinor Cook, Juliette Towhidi, Hania Elkington
- **Novel:** Sarah Perry
- **Cinematography:** David Raedeker
- **Editor:** Lucia Zucchetti, George Cragg, Napoleon Stratogiannakis
- **Music:** Herdís Stefánsdóttir, Dustin O'Halloran
- **Production design:** Alice Normington
- **Costume design:** Jane Petrie
- **Producer:** Andrea Cornwell
- **Cast:** Claire Danes as Cora Seaborne; Tom Hiddleston as Will Ransome; Frank Dillane as Dr Luke Garrett; Clémence Poésy as Stella Ransome; Hayley Squires as Martha; Gareth Berliner as Thomas Taylor; Darragh Cowley as Young Man; Lily-Rose Aslandogdu as Naomi Banks
- **Certificate (KAVI):** K16
- **Release (Finland):** 13 May 2022
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5GqOeELRFU

## Where to watch in Finland

- Apple TV: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd

*Checked 2026-10-22.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Picnic at Hanging Rock* (1975), Fi1m 88: A missing group and an eerie landscape, with uncertainty allowed to linger. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/picnic-at-hanging-rock.md)
- *The Innocents* (1961): Period rooms and repressed feelings make a troubling home for possible ghosts.
- *Bright Star* (2009), Fi1m 82: A patient period romance giving physical detail as much weight as dialogue. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/bright-star.md)
- *The Returned* (2012), Fi1m 85: French supernatural drama with equal concern for uncanny events and ordinary attachments. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/the-returned.md)
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88: Desire and difficult behaviour in a landscape that refuses to remain decorative. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)

---
© 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/the-essex-serpent