Paramount+'s new crime thriller, The Revenge Club, arrived on our screens this month and viewers have wasted no time binge-watching the series, which stars the likes of Shetland's Douglas Henshall and Line of Duty actor Martin Compston.
The six-part series centres around six lonely, heartbroken people who are brought together by a divorce support group and decide to take revenge on their exes. The show is adapted from J.D. Pennington's thriller novel, The Othello Club, with the title referring to William Shakespeare's 16th-century set play, Othello, about a man who suspects his wife of infidelity.
© Gaumont/Paramout GlobalThe show is penned by Gabbie Asher, who is known for her work on The Girlfriend and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, alongside Matt Jones, whose previous credits include The Split, and Adam Usden, known for his work on Lupin.
Having seen the first two episodes, I can safely say viewers are in for an entertaining watch as six strangers team up to take revenge on their exes who betrayed them, leading to fatal consequences. The show opens with Emily, one of the group's members who is nursing a broken heart after finding out about her husband's infidelity. In a flash-forward scene, we see Emily in a police interview room being questioned by detectives because "people are dead". "It all started with the group," she tells them.
Each episode focuses on a different member of the group, with scenes inside the police station interlaced with the chronological story. Through a non-linear narrative, viewers are slowly fed new information about the group and their acts of vengeance, guaranteed to keep you hooked - and guessing - as you wait to find out how things could have gone so far wrong for these six lonely people.
Plus, Shetland fans used to seeing Douglas play the beloved and talented DI Jimmy Perez in the long-running BBC drama can enjoy seeing the actor in a very different role in The Revenge Club as Steve: a very bitter, ex-sergeant major who is struggling to come to terms with his divorce. Douglas abandons his Scottish accent for an English one in this darkly comic role and is brilliant as the morally ambiguous ex-serviceman, who appears to be the driving force behind the group's acts of vengeance.
Intrigued? Keep reading to find out what viewers and critics have said about the show.
What have viewers and critics said about the show?
Taking to social media following the drama's release on 12 December, viewers hailed the show as "brilliant", with many binge-watching all six episodes in one sitting.
© Gaumont/Paramout GlobalOne person penned on X: "Binged #TheRevengeClub in one night which I rarely ever do but it was actually brilliant. Great acting and a super twisty plot I couldn't figure out," while another added: "One of the best dramas I've seen this year. Paramount Plus, you've done it again! Another fantastic original British series as always!!!!"
Meanwhile, the series was met with mostly positive reviews from TV critics, with The Guardian awarding three stars in its review, which described the drama as "entertaining", adding that it "could have been more certain of itself, decided early on whether it was a caper or a thriller or a psychological drama". Meanwhile, The Times described the series as "daft but fun".
What is The Revenge Club about?
The series, directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag, Veep) and Daniel O'Hara (Stay Close, Lazarus), follows six strangers who meet at a divorce support club who have little in common but their broken hearts. Deciding to take revenge on their exes, what starts out as a cathartic process quickly spirals out of control as their retribution escalates from petty pranks to deadly accidents.
© Gaumont/Paramout GlobalThe synopsis continues: "As the group's plans grow bolder, the line between justice and chaos begins to blur - and someone might just take things too far. The Revenge Club is a wickedly fun revenge thriller that dares to ask: what if getting even felt better than falling in love?"
The Revenge Club is available to stream on Paramount+ now.
