The Virtues

TV Mini Series
2019
15
47m

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

YOUR RATING

With no immediate family to live for, Joseph is haunted by a past he has tried, for decades, to forget - if not actively obscure with drink and drugs. Suffering the hangover from hell - the dry spell over - he walks away from his present life and boards a boat bound for Ireland to confront hazy, fear-inducing memories from a childhood spent in the care system that he's had to forget. Emotionally and physically wrecked, Joseph reunites with an incredulous Anna (Helen Behan, This is England '88 and '90), the sister he hasn't seen since childhood. Anna persuades her wary husband Michael (Frank Laverty; Michael Collins) to let Joseph stay and give him work in the family-owned building company. There, Joseph is forced to directly confront the demons of his past when he comes face to face with Craigy (Mark O'Halloran), a shadowy figure who is dogged by dark rumours, and who won't leave Joseph alone. Joseph's precarious family reunion is further complicated when he is immediately drawn to Michael's fiery sister Dinah (Niamh Algar; The Bisexual, Pure). Angry and lost, Dinah is fiercely guarded, and, like Joseph, haunted by a deeply-held secret. The Virtues is a visceral and hauntingly unforgettable paean to the human spirit, shot through with bittersweet tenderness, compassion and unexpected moments of laugh-out-loud humour throughout. Deftly addressing challenging themes of revenge, redemption and repressed memory, Meadows and co-writer, BAFTA-winning Jack Thorne, ask questions of what it really means to be, and have, family.

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Falling into despair after his nine-year-old son leaves for Australia with his ex, Joseph walks away from his present life and boards a boat for Ireland to confront painful memories from his... Read allFalling into despair after his nine-year-old son leaves for Australia with his ex, Joseph walks away from his present life and boards a boat for Ireland to confront painful memories from his childhood.Falling into despair after his nine-year-old son leaves for Australia with his ex, Joseph walks away from his present life and boards a boat for Ireland to confront painful memories from his childhood.

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

YOUR RATING

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
- 7 wins & 8 nominations total

Episodes4

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TopTop-rated 1 Season 2019

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Trivia
The series takes inspiration from writer/director Shane Meadows's personal experiences.

Connections
Featured in Jeremy Vine: Episode #2.114 (2019)

User reviews103

Review

Featured review

10/10

What can you say but........ ABSOLUTELY SUPERB!

It's as if you're watching people in their everyday life, not scripted or rehearsed, just raw, gritty, tough life! Shane Meadows has again bought us something that is emotionally engaging, brutally honest and superbly acted.... Stephen Graham especially. Tears, laughter and sheer terror course through every episode of this quite remarkable and thought provoking series. From hiding behind a cushion to wiping a slightly moist eye, I couldn't stop watching. A complete must see! Be warned though, there are tough and very difficult scenes, which are totally intrinsic to the whole riveting story. Please watch this if you can.