My Review-
The Woman in the Wall
My Rating. 9/ 10
Will be streaming later this year on Paramount Plus
I was fortunate enough to get a preview of this series from a friend in the U. K.
Mark this one down on your future viewing diary it's such a compelling and disturbing fictional story written and created by British born Joe Murtagh .
And skilfully directed by Harry Wootliff and Rachna Suri .
Principle fuming took place on location in Northern Ireland and also the Republic of Ireland, namely, County Mayo.
Principle starring roles are Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack and they both give wonderful performances as Lorna Brady an Irish woman with severe psychological trauma due to the cruel events that occurred at the so called Magdalene laundries also known as Magdalene asylums which were institutions usually run by Roman Catholic orders of nuns that operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries.
I highly recommend an excellent 2002 movie The Magdalene Sisters before watching The Woman in the Wall which for me was like a prequel to The Woman in the Wall .
It starred the wonderful Geraldine McEwan as Sister Bridget and tells the story of three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.
The Woman in the Wall is a six-part BBC mystery drama created by Joe Murtagh and Margaret Perry it tells the story of the aftermath of the abuse that occurred in these sweat shops and the trauma and suffering of mothers whose babies were taken away from them at birth.
This was Ireland's stolen generation when babies were sold to foster parents for large so called donations to the Catholic Church.
Many of those mothers including Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson) believed their babies had died and this forms a vital part of the investigation that young Detective Colman Akande played by Daryl McCormack who recently was so impressive in the 2022 movie Good Luck to You, Leo Grande opposite Emma Thompson.
He experiences suspicion and lack of cooperation in his interrogations from the local Garda Police Sargent who wants to keep the village secrets in the village .
In The Woman in the Wall Irish actor Daryl McCormack shows his versatility this time keeping his clothes on in a much more challenging role as his character becomes haunted and revisits his own childhood trauma that also arises from the crimes of The Magdalene Laundry.
This is definitely a mystery not a documentary that picks up pace after an initial slow but dramatic start taking the viewer on a journey that takes many twists and turns.
The mysterious first episode leads to a fascinating case involving The Magdalene Laundry when Lorna Brady who sleep walks wakes up to find an unknown dead woman in her home doubting her innocence becoming the prime suspect in a murder .
If this series was a movie I have no doubt that Ruth Wilson's performance would be considered Oscar worthy.
I hope when The Woman in the Wall does stream in Australia that it streams in its entirety as a week between the 6 episodes does interrupt the tension and mystery of this unique and fascinating story.
