Without Sin

It may well be Christmas and a time for cheer, but if you have had enough of snow and candy cane on your television, this thrilling, chilling ride through a mother’s grief starring Vicky McClure may well be your antidote.

For Stella (McClure), the dark nights roll by as she drives the streets in her taxi, dropping a full variety of passengers off at their final destination. Her job serves little pleasure for her, as she is still grieving her teenage daughter Maisie, murdered only a few years previous. In search of solace and a chance of moving forward, she agrees to meet the convicted killer and gang member Charles (Johnny Harris), but when the two finally come face to face, conspiracy theories begin to blur the reality Stella was holding onto. Before long, we begin to question who’s motives really are in the interest of the greater good and who is manipulating the circumstances to their own advantage.

Debut screenwriter Frances Poletti keeps the answer to this somewhat ambiguous, leaving the viewer doubting their allegiances throughout. A web of conversations, opinions and cliffhangers successfully keep us on tenterhooks up until the ultimate finale, which has a fabulous payoff. Without Sin weighs heavy, with subject matter dark enough to plunge you into a sadness from which you might never return, but the deliveries of McClure and Harris grab you by the arm and thrust you into this enthralling tale. McClure’s performance is raw, gritty and ominous, as she gives everything to her role as the grieving taxi driver desperately searching for the truth.

Equally alluring is Harris as the drug dealing convict Charles, fighting his own war behind bars for the murder of Stella’s son and claiming that he was framed by a greater organisation. The slow burn that takes place between these two characters in the first two episodes begins to ramp up with passing time, and the conflict between working and middle-class families is equally as interesting to behold amidst the crime-riddled underworld our protagonist explores. No character is without sin, something we soon discover.

It is tough to love this series due to the nature of its story, but there is plenty to enjoy. It could be argued that the plot becomes a little unrealistic when Stella essentially becomes her own detective, doing a better job than most police officers at unravelling the mystery surrounding her daughter’s murder, but it nonetheless makes for exciting viewing. If it weren’t for McClure, it could have been very different, but quite frankly, the more she is on our screens, the better.

Guy Lambert

Without Sin is released on ITVX on 28^th December 2022.

Watch the trailer for Without Sin here: