Falling

“One thing that never fails to fascinate many nonbelievers about those who dedicate their lives to God is the vow of celibacy. It is a mammoth undertaking with, in some cases, a real-world impact on safeguarding and abuse. But for many it seems impossible to talk about nuns and Roman Catholic priests without bringing nookie into the conversation. So there will be some who will come to Falling, Channel 4’s six-part drama about a nun and an urban priest’s slow realisation of their worldly passion for each other, without much hope of a transcendent thrill. But fear not. What is being touted as theAdolescence scriptwriter Jack Thorne’s first love story begins in the quiet, sunny, bee-buzzing stillness of the religious house where Keeley Hawes’s Anna has found a spiritual refuge for more than 20 years, tending her vegetables and her soul. And it grows into a mature, life-affirming and searching drama.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

” I don’t know whether [Jack] Thorne, who has of course made his name through heavy, state-of-the-nation pieces such as the This Is England trilogy, and dramas about such meaty subjects as disability rights, the pandemic and (most recently, in the much-feted Adolescence) misogyny and the manosphere, felt unsure of his emotional ground or the lives of religious devotees, but rarely does a moment of their relationship ring true.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Writer Jack Thorne is best known for his gritty dramas, including Adolescence, but this is sheer Mills & Boon with a rosary. We’re expected to believe that no nun is truly married to Christ — she just hasn’t met the right priest yet. Why this priest is supposed to be so wonderful is not clear. He’s drippy, even spineless: he knows one man in his congregation is beating his wife and his daughter, but he doesn’t feel he can do much about it, apart from quoting Karl Marx to the women. Couldn’t he remember any appropriate Bible verses?”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Falling is boring. What a disappointment, because it’s about a hot nun who falls for a handsome priest. Such potential! It could have been The Thorn Birds meets Black Narcissus with a dash of Fleabag. Alas, this drama from Adolescence writer Jack Thorne isn’t sexy or thrilling – or even very dramatic. It features good performances from its likeable lead actors, but their romantic relationship is desperately unconvincing.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph