A Mother’s Son, the “compelling” British mystery drama that has been likened to Broadchurch, is now on Netflix. Boasting a stacked cast including Nicola Walker and Martin Clunes, this series is an ideal binge-watch over the weekend.

The drama, which was created by Unforgotten’s Chris Lang, follows the local community of a sleepy Suffolk town, which has been rocked following the murder of a local schoolgirl, Lorraine Mullary (Juliet York).

New to the area are Rosie Cutler (Hermione Norris) and Ben Banks (Clunes), who arrive with their children from previous relationships. As the investigation into Lorraine’s murder begins, Rosie begins to suspect that her son Jamie (Alexander Arnold) may be guilty.

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Walker stars as investigating officer DC Sue Upton, with the supporting cast including Ellie Bamber, Paul McGann, Antonia Clarke and Annabelle Apsion, while Edward Bazalgette serves as the director.

Originally airing in 2012, A Mother’s Son is now available to stream in the UK on Netflix, with both instalments being added to the streamer today. If you prefer ITVX as a service, then you can also watch the series there.

martin clunes in a mother's son on itv

Des Willie//ITV

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Though not widely reviewed by critics, the mystery drama was generally well received by general viewers, with IMDb currently reporting a solid average user rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 1700 reviews.

“I found A Mother’s Son to be very compelling viewing,” wrote one user. “I thought Chris Lang’s script was wonderful – natural-sounding dialogue, and for one hour fifty minutes of the two hours I was unsure who had actually committed the crime.

“The casting was just as good. Martin Clunes revealed acting skills I hadn’t previously seen him display as Rosie’s second husband, and his character, Ben, was a wonderful contrast to David, her first, superbly played by Paul McGann,” they continued.

“I’m not sure if anyone else did, but I got a Broadchurch vibe, particularly in the early stages… Very well acted, Clunes, Norris and McGann are all great. Young Alexander Arnold is terrific as Jamie,” opined another viewer.

a mother's son

ITV

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One other user was also full of praise, writing: “Great to have a sparse, lean and pacy drama that only runs for 2 hours. No padding, no stupid red herrings, no plot lines full of holes. Excellent characters and acting.”

The two-part mystery drama isn’t the only series to be added to Netflix in recent days, with soapy Spanish medical drama Breathless and Dutch crime drama Amsterdam Empire coming to the service earlier this week.

A Mother’s Son is streaming on Netflix and ITVX now.

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Lettermark

Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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