How to Get to Heaven from Belfast

Derry Girls was a huge hit for Lisa McGee, making her a household name and garnering fans the world over, including Martin Scorsese. Since we said goodbye to Erin and co in 2022, fans have been wondering what McGee would follow it up with. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast was announced in 2023, and now the eight-part series is hitting Netflix.

It is centred on a trio of childhood friends who are drawn together to investigate the mysterious death of a friend they’d fallen out of touch with. They get more than they bargained for, and a series of chaotic hijinks ensues. We unravel secrets from their childhood that gradually unfurl, adding an intriguing puzzle to the show’s core. 

Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne anchor things, their friendship believable and their bond enduring through the chaos. Gallagher’s Saoirse is a successful TV writer for a murder mystery show, balancing her life between Belfast and London, struggling to manage the two disparate lifestyles.

Bar the Northern Irish setting and humour, there is plenty to differentiate this series. It feels closer to Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters with shades of the Coen Brothers and the likes of Fargo and Raising Arizona.

While this programme is set in the present day, the soundtrack pulls heavily from the early-mid 00s with plenty of recognisable pop tunes. This adds a sense of nostalgia, although some of the needle drops do feel out of place.

The chaotic, freewheeling nature of this show occasionally lacks cohesion, and its quirkiness can at times feel overly forced. Several cameo appearances from big names add to an already busy show, some more successful than others.

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a different beast from Derry Girls, showing a different side to Lisa McGee. It’s more ambitious and narratively driven. Not everything lands in quite the same way, but there is plenty to admire, particularly the lead performances. The tonal shifts and frenetic style can be distracting at times, but once it gets going, it’s a fun, if uneven ride.