Four Lives Review: Quite Simply as Good as True-Crime TV Drama Gets – A Harrowing, Humanising Masterpiece
The BBC’s 2022 miniseries Four Lives remains one of the most impactful and restrained true-crime dramas ever produced, earning near-universal praise for its unflinching focus on the victims of serial killer Stephen Port rather than the perpetrator. Over three feature-length episodes aired in January 2022, the series chronicles the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth, and Jack Taylor—four young gay men killed by Port between 2014 and 2015 in Barking, East London—after he lured them via Grindr, drugged them with GHB, assaulted them, and left their bodies in a grim pattern.
thesun.co.uk
Four Lives: the real people being played by the all-star cast in …
What sets Four Lives apart is its refusal to sensationalize the crimes. Written by Neil McKay and executive-produced by Jeff Pope, it draws from inquest evidence, police records, and direct input from the families to humanize the victims as real people with lives, loves, and futures—countering the authorities’ early classification of the deaths as accidental overdoses linked to chemsex culture. The drama exposes staggering police failures: missed connections between cases in the same graveyard, unheeded family warnings, ignored evidence, and institutional biases that delayed justice and likely cost lives.
theguardian.com
Four Lives review – truly damning TV about those who are meant to …
Stephen Merchant is chillingly effective as Stephen Port, delivering a performance of quiet, squirming menace that avoids caricature. His Port is ordinary yet terrifying—evasive in interviews, coldly detached, and disturbingly banal. The stripped-down style, with sparse music and close-up interrogations, heightens the unease, making Merchant’s shift from comedy to this sinister role all the more striking.
deadline.com
Stephen Merchant and ‘Four Lives’ Team Slam UK Police Over Failings
The emotional heart belongs to Sheridan Smith as Sarah Sak, mother of first victim Anthony Walgate. Smith’s portrayal is raw and riveting—fierce grief, unyielding determination, and quiet fury as she campaigns for answers. Her performance anchors the series, turning personal tragedy into a powerful indictment of systemic neglect. Supporting roles add depth: Holly Aird as Jeanette Taylor (Jack’s mother), Leanne Best as Kate, and others bring authentic pain and resilience to the screen.
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rts.org.uk
The victims themselves—portrayed by Tim Preston (Anthony), Jakub Svec (Gabriel), Leo Flanagan (Daniel), and Paddy Rowan (Jack)—are given dignity and dimension. We see them laughing, connecting, living full lives, making their losses devastatingly real. The production avoids graphic depictions, focusing instead on aftermath: family anguish, police indifference, and the slow grind toward truth.
Critics lauded the restraint and impact. The Guardian called it “truly damning” and “mind-boggling,” highlighting how it exposes homophobia and incompetence without overt preaching. The Telegraph declared it “as good as true-crime TV drama gets,” praising its victim-centered approach. Viewers echoed the sentiment, often left infuriated yet moved by the families’ fight.
Filmed in London locations echoing the real events, Four Lives maintains authenticity while prioritizing empathy. It stands as essential viewing on BBC iPlayer—a sobering reminder of justice’s cost, the power of persistence, and the human stories behind headlines.
