Based in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and beyond, How to get to heaven from belfast is a new dark comedy series from the writer/creator, and his latest mystery following the 2020 psychological thriller Betrayed. Playful, weird and surreal, the series, like its complex characters, refuses to be put into any kind of box (not even a shiny box with a combination lock).
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Not only famous for her portrayals of Northern Irish women, McGee is in a league of her own when writing about female friendship, whether in adolescence or adulthood: the flamboyant silliness, the brutal honesty, the fierce loyalty. in the middle of How to get to heaven from belfast A group of childhood friends are somewhat separated in their late 30s, thanks to a terrible secret that binds them forever. Here we’re given a divine trio of comedy excellence – Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan, and Caolphionn Dunn – and enough twists and turns to overturn a Land Rover Discovery.
How to get to heaven from belfast proper mystery craze
What really happened to Greta?
Credit: Christopher Barr/Netflix
Like many mystery writers, McGee begins How to get to heaven from belfast With the tragic death of a mysterious woman whose high school friends are called back to the fictional village of Knockdara in County Donegal, Ireland for her wake (similar to the setting of McGee). Betrayed; The show is actually filmed in Carnlough, Northern Ireland). Knockdara has a hotel (with many, many theme nights), a taxi, a Garda station and regular traffic jams caused by cows.
Many mysteries fight together for the front seat. What happened in the forest that night? What happened to Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe) 20 years later? And what isn’t her strangely syncretic family telling us? While this mystery series is based on a “dead girl” story involving homecoming anxiety, hot cops, investigative reporters, and small-town secrets, McGee, along with director Michael Lennox, subverts these elements and puts his own stamp on the genre through a sharp-tongued script, wild production design, a nostalgic ’00s soundtrack, and golden casting.
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Something about Greta’s “accidental” death doesn’t sit right with Saoirse (Gallagher), a crime show writer drawn to sinister conspiracies, who finds herself visited by ghosts, even at BAFTA. Joining Saoirse’s amateur sleuthing are the less enthusiastic Robin (Keenan), a glamorous, no-nonsense mother of three, and Dara (Dunne), a devout lesbian who cares for her less-appreciative mother. They’re an unlikely investigative force by their own standards: “We’re not the fuckin’ A-team, Saoirse!” Robin announced.
None of these three will admit it out loud to each other, but they are craving Hijinks ensue, so when the mysterious red characters appear, they are clearly reluctant to return to the location of their terrible secret, while secretly enjoying watching their daily lives in the rear view. Here, their story transcends time, reconnecting them with their teenage selves, diaries, matching tattoos and long-buried secrets.
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How to get to heaven from belfastThe cast is divine
Sinead Keenan, Caolfionn Dunn, and Roisin Gallagher.
Credit: Christopher Barr/Netflix
As far as the lead trio is concerned, Gallagher, Keenan and Dunn are a heaven-sent mismatched pair who could have been put together as childhood friends. Whether dealing with their own anxieties or spewing home truths at each other in a creepy, dilapidated caretaker’s cottage, a glamorous Portuguese resort, or in Robin’s weakly put together Land Rover, the trio’s lived-in connection is a notable strength of the series.
Brimming with anger, Keenan’s Robin is a cowardly scene-stealer who hurls formidable parenting moments at her friends of the same age with such ferocity that you feel like running to your room. Gallagher’s tired, nervous Saoirse reflects on the events of her life on her show. murder code Gritting his teeth through meetings with his diva lead actor (Leela Farzad) and almost constantly praising Jesse Armstrong. And Dara, the moral compass of them all, overcome by her own guilt, benefits from Dunn’s savvy physical comedy – honestly, just watching Dara peek around a door is TV gold.
Don’t mess with Booker (Bronagh Gallagher).
Credit: Christopher Barr/Netflix
In form of dairy girlsMcGee has mastered the art of building an ensemble around a core cast that all have their own quirks, comedic opportunities, and varying levels of devotion to their hometown. O’Keeffe is haunted as the elusive Greta. Darragh Hand is charming as local garda Liam, as handsome as he is ethical and dedicated to his work, something Saoirse hasn’t noticed. Bronagh Gallagher brings formidable feminist no country for old men Booker is full of energy, a fixer and a fierce Dolly Parton fan who is not to be messed with. dairy girls‘ Saoirse-Monica Jackson is a pleasant surprise as an underground figure whose love of the kawaii genre hides a dark truth, girls.
In addition to these main characters, the series’ supporting cast includes many gems, from the main four teenagers (Emma Canning, Emily Flamm, Chara Aitken and Maria Laird) to James Martin as ruthless petrol station owner Tommy. starstruckNikesh Patel as Saoirse’s long-suffering agent, Niamh Finlay as Knockadara’s most rude waiter, and Kerr Logan as the creepy hotel owner unfortunately called Norman.
How to get to heaven from belfast Creates a quirky noir through production design
Uhhh, guys?
Credit: Christopher Barr/Netflix
Undoubtedly, the secret stars of How to get to heaven from belfast There are Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland itself. Captured by director of photography Ashley Barron through high overhead landscape shots (a must for mystery series these days), extreme Dutch angles and fish-eye shots, the characters and the Irish landscapes of Donegal, Cork and Belfast are (of course) brilliantly crafted, an extension of each other and equally strange and wonderful.
When natural splendor is not optimised, How to get to heaven from belfast Production designer Tom Conroy is seen dousing the locations in surreal hyper-color at every opportunity, giving the series a bizarre noir. Supported by some eccentric get-ups from costume designer Cathy Pryor and hair and makeup designer Robin Wheeler, McGee has created a neon-colored setting for this dark tale. On dark and stormy nights bright pink hotel signs are reflected in puddles, pub dance floors glow with purple and red gels, late night car rides glow with strange colors.
checking in.
Credit: Christopher Barr/Netflix
Being a story of digging into the past, the series jumps between time periods from the ’90s to the ’00s and now, with nostalgia being the main direction of the tunes. Music supervisor Katherine Grimes continues McGee dairy girls The perfect throwback playlist with more needle drops than a burnt CD’s worth. The timeless bombshells Girls Aloud, Vengaboys, Nelly, DJ Sammy, Junior Senior, Atomic Kitten, Black Eyed Peas and B*Witched will unlock a very specific moment of adolescence, especially for the millennial audience.
How to get to heaven from belfast It’s as much a classic mystery as it is a distinctive celebration of girlhood and adulthood, lifelong friendships and repressed trauma, edited memories and the connection to home so many of us flee from, written by Lisa McGee. It’s hilarious, haunting, and heavenly in every way.
How to get to heaven from belfast Streaming on Netflix on February 12.
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