Sienna Miller and Dominic West’s ‘War’ Divorce Drama Wins Over Many Critics, but Not Everyone
Nasty divorces have always made for great television, and few things are more watchable than rich people fighting over who gets what. HBO and Sky have now put that idea at the center of a glossy legal thriller that pits a movie star against a tech billionaire.
The result is ‘War,’ a new drama from ‘Lupin’ and ‘Hijack’ creator George Kay, starring Sienna Miller and Dominic West. It premiered on HBO on October 1 and on Sky in the UK on October 2, and it streams on HBO Max in the US and several other territories.
Now the first reviews are in, and the divorce drama has landed on a mostly positive note, particularly in the British press. Variety called it thoroughly captivating, praising Kay’s signature twists and the way it looks beyond the emotional turmoil of a failing marriage, while NPR described it as a well-cast, classy-trashy drama that mixes high drama with moments of humanity.
The first season follows Morgan Henderson (West), a tech mogul, and his wife Carla Duval (Miller), an A-list actress whose fame is starting to teeter. As their marriage collapses, two rival London law firms, Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne, stop at nothing to win for their clients.
The pilot opens in London, where Morgan is celebrating a Pioneer of the Year award. He then has a one-night stand that turns out to be a honey trap orchestrated by Carla to prove his infidelity once and for all.
The supporting cast includes Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, Archie Renaux, Nina Sosanya and Pip Torrens as the lawyers on both sides, along with Celia Imrie and Nick Mohammed. Ben Taylor directs all 8 episodes from Kay’s scripts.
Many critics singled out the leads. TechRadar was floored by how much Miller and West bring to their roles and called the series British legal drama at its best, while Collider found the pair make great opponents and said they play their parts with style.
The British press was especially warm. According to Index, most UK outlets gave the series 4 stars, with The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan reportedly calling it pure enjoyment, and the New York Times praised Miller’s performance.
Not everyone was convinced. IndieWire gave it a scathing review, arguing that the show fails to build characters who can sustain multiple seasons and that there is little reason to care about anyone in it. TV Guide called it watchable but tame, and Collider said that after a few episodes it starts to feel a little empty and more about tactics than people.
The show’s origin story is one of its more intriguing details. Kay reportedly got the idea by chance while waiting in line at an airport, when he overheard a woman answer her phone with a joyful yes.
When he asked what she was celebrating, she told him her painful, years-long divorce was finally over and that she had received a huge financial settlement. That encounter pushed him to write a drama about money, power and the emotional war that accompanies the breakdown of a superrich marriage.
Divide then conquer. Starring Sienna Miller and Dominic West, #WARHBO premieres October 1 on HBO Max. https://t.co/xPaS0UPkMU
— HBO Max (@hbomax) September 17, 2026
‘War’ is structured as an anthology, with each season following a new case handled by the same 2 rival law firms. Season 2 has already been greenlit and is in production, with Marisa Tomei, Kelly Macdonald, David Harewood and Richard Schiff reported to join the cast.
For viewers catching up, the first season runs weekly on Thursdays on HBO through November 19. With reviews this divided, the real verdict will come from audiences.
What do you think of Sienna Miller and Dominic West as a warring couple in War?
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