Whether she’s cracking us up as a frazzled parent in Motherland, or solving murder mysteries in The Bletchley Circle, Anna Maxwell Martin always delivers. On the lookout for a binge-worthy evening watch, we unearthed one of her lesser-known crime thrillers, Hollington Drive – and, in our humble opinion, it’s her best performance yet. For all its twists, turns and family tension, it gets a 10/10 rating from us – and you can watch it all tonight.
The four-part series, which first aired on ITV in 2021, takes us to a sleepy suburb where a blissful summer’s evening escalates into a nightmare. Anna Maxwell Martin plays a mother called Theresa who’s adamant her son shouldn’t leave their barbecue to play in the park. As always, a mother's intuition is correct and a murder takes place. The community spirals and the survivors are left to question how far they'll go to protect their loved ones.
In the mood for a suburban thriller? Here’s everything you need to know about Hollington Drive, including the cast, plot and how to watch it tonight.
What is Hollington Drive about?
The series begins with the perfect summer evening barbecue in suburbia. Drinks are flowing, children are playing. Sisters Theresa (Anna Maxwell Martin) and Helen (Rachael Stirling) are joined by their families as they lounge in Theresa and her partner Fraser’s (Rhashan Stone) garden. Apart from Fraser’s brother, Eddie (Ken Nwosu), winding everyone up, there’s hardly a hint of tension in the air.
Theresa’s 10-year-old, Ben (Fraser Holmes), asks to play out in the nearby park with his cousin, Eva (Amelie Bea Smith). The adults are slightly concerned, but Ben puts up a convincing fight. However, an unsettling feeling lingers once the kids have left.
When they don’t return on time, the families are panic-stricken. Theresa goes out to search and her suspicions are only heightened. When she finds the cousins at the edge of the woodland, they're in an argument, and she sees them throw something in the bin.
Later, her fears are confirmed. Neighbour Jean (Jodie McNee) calls on the family, distraught, to tell them her son, Alex, has gone missing. A police search begins, which eventually escalates into a murder investigation. But why were the cousins in a fight? And what were they throwing in the bin?
Anna Maxwell Martin previously opened up about her character, Theresa. ‘She's a bit of an anti-hero really. She's often not very likeable and often not a very good parent, she makes lots of terrible decisions,’ she told The i Paper. ‘She's slightly unhinged and I really liked that, because she's not a cookie-cutter mother. She's very flawed. She's dysfunctional and it becomes clear that she's suffering with trauma,’ she added.
Who’s in the cast of Hollington Drive?
The cast of Hollington Drive includes:
- Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, South Riding) as Theresa
- Rachael Stirling (The Bletchley Circle) as Helen
- Rhashan Stone (The Smoke) as Fraser
- Peter McDonald (The Stag, Dublin Murders) as David
- Ken Nwosu (Down Cemetery Road) as Eddie
- Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood) as Gareth
- Jodie McNee (Breathtaking) as Jean
Is Hollington Drive any good?
In one word – yes. If you love slow-burn domestic thrillers, you’re going to want to binge this in one go. The drama is full of twists and turns as the sisters’ dark secrets surface, and it keeps you hooked until the very end to find out who the culprit is. Anna Maxwell Martin is brilliant as the younger sister, who lives in her overbearing sibling’s spotlight. The complexity of their unhealthy bond is every bit as compelling as the crime at the centre of the series.
How can I watch Hollington Drive?
You can watch Hollington Drive now on YouTube.
What other crime thrillers can I watch now?
If you’re after a detective series, with a seriously dark criminal at its centre, we’d suggest Cold Blood. The series follows DS Eve Granger (Jemma Redgrave), who’s lured into a game of cat-and-mouse with serial killer Brian Wicklow (Matthew Kelly), who’s taunting the police from behind bars over his last victim. Cold Blood is available to watch now on ITVX. For a tense thriller, try Out There. Martin Clunes is brilliant as Welsh farmer Nathan Williams, a father who ends up going head-to-head with gangsters when his son is lured into a county lines drug operation. Out There is available to watch now on ITVX.