Netflix’s New True Crime Drama ‘The Witness’ Just Got Its Rotten Tomatoes Score

Netflix’s new miniseries The Witness has arrived with strong early reviews from critics, who are praising both its emotional storytelling and its performances.

The four-part drama premiered on June 4, and tells the story of the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell and the difficult years that followed for her husband André Hanscombe and their son Alex.

Unlike many true crime dramas, The Witness does not focus mainly on the police investigation or the search for a killer. Instead, the series looks at the lasting impact the crime had on a family forced to live with unimaginable loss. The drama is based on Letting Go, the memoir written by Alex Hanscombe, who was just a young child when his mother was killed.

Jordan Bolger leads the cast as André Hanscombe, while Max Fincham plays Alex as a teenager. Jahsaiah Williams portrays Alex as a child. The supporting cast includes Eleanor Williams as Rachel Nickell, Kerry Godliman as Grandma June, Neil Maskell as Detective Inspector Keith Pedder, and Steve Stamp as Robert Napper, among many others.

The series has started its run with a perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes based on five published reviews. Critics have highlighted the show’s emotional approach and its focus on the human side of a case that received enormous media attention in Britain.

Writing for the Financial Times, critic Rebecca Nicholson awarded the series four out of five stars. She described the production as “largely a family drama, and a moving one.” Her review suggests that the show’s strength comes from its focus on the people left behind rather than the crime itself.

The Daily Telegraph’s Chris Bennion also gave the drama four out of five stars. He was especially impressed by Jordan Bolger’s performance as André Hanscombe, calling it a “phenomenal, star-making performance.” According to Bennion, Bolger’s work is one of the key reasons the series succeeds.

At The Guardian, Jack Seale praised the show’s portrayal of grief and survival. He awarded four out of five stars and wrote, “They had to live it, without help or relief; The Witness is a valuable insight into what that hell was like.” His review points to the emotional weight carried throughout the series.

Pat Stacey of the Irish Independent also gave the show four out of five stars. He noted that the drama stands apart from many other productions in the true crime genre. Stacey wrote, “It’s unlike any true crime drama we’ve seen before, in that it’s not really a true crime drama at all. It’s primarily a story of survival in the most appalling circumstances.”

Meanwhile, Karina Adelgaard from Heaven of Horror was slightly less enthusiastic, giving the series three out of five stars. Even so, she praised the effort to remain faithful to real events. Adelgaard noted, “…you can see how they’ve used home videos (and other videos featured in the documentary) to hit as close to the truth as possible. I appreciate that immensely, as I can only imagine those who love and miss Rachel Nickell will.”

The early reaction suggests that The Witness is making an impact by taking a different approach to true crime storytelling. Rather than concentrating on the mystery or the investigation, the series focuses on grief, survival, and the long-lasting effects of tragedy. Based on the first reviews, critics believe this emotional perspective is what makes the Netflix drama stand out.

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