--- title: "Vigil: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/vigil/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/vigil" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 11 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." --- # Vigil (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 11 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Vigil, and the praise clusters in one place: the submarine. Nearly every review credits the confined setting with lifting what several concede is a familiar police procedural, and the cutting between the boat and the investigation on land is repeatedly named as what keeps the tension up. Suranne Jones’s lead performance is admired across the board, and her pairing with Rose Leslie comes up more than once as the emotional centre of the series. The reservations are few and mostly small. Empire finds the backstory laid on a little thickly, and one or two reviews note that beneath the setting this is a standard prestige cop drama. The spread is narrow apart from one loud dissent: The Telegraph rates it one star, finding the plot incoherent, the central romance lifeless and the reveals farcical. No other review comes close to that verdict. ## The i Paper — Emily Watkins Fi1m's normalised score 87/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2021. The critic praises the classy, claustrophobic submarine-set thriller as unpredictable and gripping from the start, with strong casting and elegant direction making the police procedural feel fresh. They single out the oppressive use of the submarine's labyrinthine setting and expert cinematography for praise. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/vigil-bbc-one-review-suranne-jones-martin-compston-1171739) ## The Times — Ben Dowell Rating ★★★★☆. 30 August 2021. The confident and clever opening episode makes for an autumn drama hit with smart detective work amid a tense confined setting. The critic singles out the strong premise, forensic details and promising cast for praise. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/vigil-review-murder-beneath-the-waves-in-tense-thriller-t3wv7qz86) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 81/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2021. The series is a sharp, claustrophobic submarine thriller that delivers solid old-fashioned entertainment with a dense, sharply written script about a murky unseen world. The critic singles out the dense plotting and human elements amid international affairs for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/aug/29/vigil-review-suranne-jones-sharp-submarine-thriller-bbc-martin-compston) ## IndieWire — Steve Greene Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2022. The critic praises the twisty conspiracy thriller with strong performances from Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie, noting the submarine setting adds tension to the investigation. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/vigil-tv-series-peacock-rose-leslie-1234689821/) ## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona Rating 4/5. 5 September 2021. The critic finds the series one of BBC One's best new thrillers, with riveting pacing, major revelations, and superb weaving of land and sea strands keeping tension high. They single out the unique submarine memorial scene and Suranne Jones's performance in a tense confrontation for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/vigil-episode-3-review/) ## Empire — Beth Webb Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2021. The review calls it a relentless conspiracy drama with strong performances and tension that lives up to 'Line of Duty underwater' expectations through propulsive pacing and airtight cast work. They single out the sumptuous visuals and character-driven doubt-planting for praise while noting minor issues with backstory layering. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/vigil-2/) ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Rating 1/5. 27 September 2021. The series squanders a gripping premise and stellar cast with a nonsense story, lifeless romance, wasted potential and farcical reveals. The critic singles out the incoherent plot, poor chemistry between leads and squandered tension for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/everything-wrong-vigil-sinking-subplots-drippy-villains-lifeless/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 89/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2021. The critic calls it a perfect Sunday night drama with a strong cast, intricate plot, and fresh submarine setting that twists the classic murder mystery format. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/vigil-episode-1-review-a-top-twist-on-the-trid-ent-tested-murder-mystery/) ## Collider — Jen Vestuto Fi1m's normalised score 87/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2024. The critic praises Vigil for flipping the traditional British detective drama by setting the investigation in high-stakes, isolating environments like a nuclear submarine, which heightens tension and provides a fresh take. They single out the electric on-screen chemistry between Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie, along with the layered personal storylines and performances, as the beating heart of the series that elevates it beyond standard procedurals. [Read the review](https://collider.com/vigil-tv-show/) ## Digital Spy — Abby Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 24 August 2021. The critic finds it a solid thriller with Suranne Jones well-cast as the lead, benefiting from the split land/sea narrative and familiar faces in the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a37370576/vigil-review-line-of-duty/) ## The Ringer — Michael Baumann Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2022. The critic sees Vigil as a largely standard prestige cop drama elevated by its claustrophobic nuclear submarine setting, which heightens tension and revives the submarine thriller genre for the 21st century. The standout praise is for the innovative use of the submarine environment itself, which makes everything more dramatic through constant activity, claustrophobia, and timeless isolation. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/01/11/tv/vigil-tv-show-bbc-submarines-cold-war-thriller) --- © 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/vigil.md