--- title: "Trespasses" year: 2025 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/trespasses" fi1m_id: "trespasses" imdb_id: "tt33059458" tmdb_id: 260650 wikidata_id: "Q131340420" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 6 published: "2026-09-11" updated: "2026-09-11T22:38:39.412909+00:00" region: "JP" 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." --- # Trespasses (2025) Created by Louise Kennedy · Drama, War & Politics ## Identity Trespasses - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/trespasses - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** trespasses - **IMDb ID:** tt33059458 - **TMDB ID:** 260650 - **Wikidata ID:** Q131340420 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33059458/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/260650, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131340420 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 79 from 6 reviews *In a sentence:* A married barrister is an ambitious choice for a quiet life > Lola Petticrew and Gillian Anderson are excellent in this sharp Belfast drama. The central affair is occasionally unpersuasive, but its family troubles and the pressures of sectarian division make four episodes well worth the time. ## Synopsis In 1970s Belfast, Catholic schoolteacher Cushla Lavery (Lola Petticrew) begins an affair with Michael Agnew (Tom Cullen), a married Protestant barrister. Their relationship crosses religious boundaries at a time when sectarian conflict shapes daily life. At home, Cushla also contends with her mother Gina (Gillian Anderson), whose alcoholism complicates their family life. Adapted by Ailbhe Keogan from Louise Kennedy’s novel and directed by Dawn Shadforth, this four-part drama follows Cushla as her private desires become entangled with the pressures of living through the Troubles. ## Review *Trespasses* is a sharp, affecting drama with an occasionally unpersuasive affair at its centre. A Catholic teacher falls for a married Protestant barrister in 1970s Belfast, which gives the relationship several problems before either person has spoken. Dawn Shadforth directs Ailbhe Keogan’s adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s novel. Both take the life around that affair seriously. Cushla has a family to contend with, and living through the Troubles does not stop being difficult because she has fallen in love. Lola Petticrew is the chief reason to stay with Cushla Lavery, even when her choices threaten to frustrate us. The performance gives her enough complexity to resist the role of the young woman whose forbidden love explains everything about her. Keogan’s writing allows the religious division to matter without reducing Cushla to her Catholicism, and Shadforth keeps her experience central. There is something welcome about a romance that takes the woman’s ordinary difficulties seriously, rather than treating them as delays before the next encounter. Tom Cullen, playing Michael Agnew, has chemistry with Petticrew, and the attraction between them is credible. Yet the lovers do not always convince us that their feelings run as deep as the story requires. In the weaker stretches, Keogan gives us too little reason to believe that this particular man has become indispensable to Cushla. We understand the risks, but we occasionally find ourselves waiting for the couple to make us care as much about their attachment. Gillian Anderson gives the drama a more immediate source of pain as Gina Lavery, Cushla’s alcoholic mother. We were upset by Gina’s drinking. Anderson makes the unhappiness feel like something the family has to live with, and never lets the alcoholism explain everything about this woman. The part matters beyond its usefulness in explaining why Cushla might want to be elsewhere. The family troubles have their own claim on our attention, and the scenes around Gina are among the reasons to recommend the series. Shadforth also handles the period setting well: the 1970s detail helps make Belfast feel inhabited, with sectarian divisions shaping the lovers’ choices. A drama of this kind can use political violence as a convenient way of making an affair seem important, but the writing gives daily life sufficient attention to avoid that. Brian Irvine and David Holmes provide the music, and the production is atmospheric without distracting us from the actors. The persistent sense of danger comes from understanding the circumstances these people inhabit. The reservation is worth spelling out for anyone choosing this chiefly as a romance. There is warmth and attraction, but some of the deepest feeling belongs to the troubled family around Cushla. Across four episodes, Shadforth and Keogan give those lives enough attention to make the series rewarding even when the affair falters. Within the familiar genre of love under social pressure, that is a welcome priority. Set aside the time for Petticrew and Anderson, and do not expect the lovers to monopolise your sympathy. *Fi1m score 80, published 11 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Trespasses, with five of the six reviews positive and one mixed. Praise centres on the performances: Lola Petticrew’s nuanced Cushla, her chemistry with Tom Cullen, and Gillian Anderson’s portrayal of an alcoholic mother draw particular attention. The reviews also value the adaptation’s period detail and its handling of everyday life during the Troubles, with several finding that the sectarian tensions give the forbidden affair weight without overwhelming the personal story. Atmospheric production and strong writing receive praise, while the female perspective is another point of interest. The spread runs from substantial enthusiasm to a clear reservation about the central romance. The Telegraph finds that relationship oddly unmoving, despite admiring the portrayal of the Troubles and Anderson’s performance. That dissent concerns how much the love story makes the audience feel, rather than the quality of the supporting work. ## Straight answers **Is Trespasses worth watching?** *Trespasses* is worth watching for anyone who likes a period drama that takes family life as seriously as romance, and we scored it 80. Lola Petticrew and Gillian Anderson are the reasons to stay across four episodes. The central affair does not always convince, so go for the household around Cushla rather than the lovers. **Where can I watch Trespasses in Japan?** *Trespasses* is not on any streaming or rental service in Japan at the moment. It is available in 2 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Trespasses, and is it suitable for children?** *Trespasses* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children. There is no graphic violence described in our review, but the drama concerns an adulterous affair, an alcoholic mother whose drinking we found upsetting, and the persistent threat of sectarian violence in 1970s Belfast. Older teenagers used to serious drama should manage it. **How does Trespasses compare to Brief Encounter?** *Trespasses* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) are both stories of an affair made painful by ordinary obligations, but the earlier film is the tighter and more affecting of the two. Lean makes falling in love feel frightening in itself, while the series is strongest when it turns from the lovers to Cushla's troubled family and the pressures of the Troubles. **Is Trespasses based on a true story or a book?** *Trespasses* is based on Louise Kennedy's novel of the same name, adapted for television by Ailbhe Keogan; it is not a true story. Our review does not measure the series against the book, so we cannot say how faithful it is. Knowing the novel is not needed, since the four episodes tell the story on their own terms. **What should I watch after Trespasses?** After *Trespasses*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): Another affair in which ordinary obligations make desire painfully difficult. Then [*My Beautiful Laundrette*](https://film.one/film/my-beautiful-laundrette) (1985, Fi1m 85): Desire crosses social divisions, with humour that never softens the hostility; and [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love) (2000, Fi1m 91): For the restrained longing, watchful neighbours and complications of being married. ### Reviews we read (6) - **Radio Times**, Caroline Frost (90/100, inferred): The critic calls Trespasses the best TV drama of the year. It depicts the forbidden love affair between a Catholic teacher and a married Protestant lawyer, delicately weaving the personal with the political against the backdrop of the Troubles. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/drama-say-nothing-trespasses-northern-ireland-troubles-comment/) - **The Guardian** (85/100, inferred): The adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s novel about a young Catholic teacher’s dangerous affair with a Protestant barrister in 1970s Belfast captures the tragedy of love amid sectarian conflict. It excels through strong performances, particularly Lola Petticrew’s nuanced portrayal of Cushla, and skilfully weaves personal stories with the era’s tensions. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/09/trespasses-review-an-intoxicating-rousing-and-heartbreaking-love-story) - **The Times**, Carol Midgley (80/100, inferred): The adaptation faithfully brings Louise Kennedy’s passionate love story set amid the Troubles to the screen, enhanced by evocative 1970s details and strong chemistry between Lola Petticrew and Tom Cullen. It succeeds as a vivid, well-told drama of forbidden romance in a divided Belfast. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/trespasses-review-tom-cullen-lola-petticrew-256tkj8p9) - **Evening Standard**, Michael Hogan (75/100, inferred): This adaptation of the novel delivers a raw yet ultimately uplifting story of forbidden love in 1970s Belfast, anchored by Gillian Anderson’s heartbreaking performance as an alcoholic mother. Lola Petticrew shines in a nuanced lead role amid richly evocative period detail and strong writing. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/trespasses-on-channel-4-review-b1256983.html) - **The Telegraph** (3/5): The series offers a sharp portrayal of life during the Troubles but feels oddly unmoving in its central romance. Gillian Anderson delivers a superb turn as the alcoholic mother Gina. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/trespasses-channel-4-review/) - **Digital Spy**, Stephen Armstrong (90/100, inferred): The critic hails it as a glorious mini-epic with a passionate forbidden romance and strong performances, especially Gillian Anderson's. They single out the female gaze perspective and atmospheric production for praise. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a69284915/trespasses-review/) ## Details - **Created by:** Louise Kennedy - **Creator:** Louise Kennedy - **Director:** Dawn Shadforth - **Writer:** Ailbhe Keogan - **Novel:** Louise Kennedy - **Music:** David Holmes, Brian Irvine - **Producer:** Maria Mulhall - **Cast:** Lola Petticrew as Cushla Lavery; Tom Cullen as Michael Agnew; Gillian Anderson as Gina Lavery; Martin McCann as Eamonn Lavery; Emily Taaffe as Betty McGeown; Oisín Thompson as Gerry Harkin; Barry Ward as Victor McIntyre; Conlaoch Gough-Cunningham as Tommy McGeown - **Release (Japan):** 9 November 2025 - **Genres:** Drama, War & Politics - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNJF5No6NU0 ## Where to watch in Japan Not streaming, renting or buying in Japan at the last check. Also available in: GB, IE. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: Another affair in which ordinary obligations make desire painfully difficult. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985), Fi1m 85: Desire crosses social divisions, with humour that never softens the hostility. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-beautiful-laundrette.md) - *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For the restrained longing, watchful neighbours and complications of being married. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md) - *A Royal Affair* (2012), Fi1m 70: A forbidden relationship becomes entangled with politics, religion and unequal power. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair.md) - *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: For the tentative intimacies, and the loneliness that makes them matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.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/trespasses