‘Tense’ 6-part thriller with Downton Abbey and Bridgerton stars is your next Netflix binge-watch
Netflix users, listen up! The tense domestic thriller, The Feud, is currently sitting at number one in the streaming giant’s Top Ten TV chart, and if you like suburban-set stories where escalating tensions turn into full-blown drama, then it might be worth adding to your watchlist. The six-part series, which first aired on Channel 5 earlier this year and arrived on Netflix in November, stars Jill Halfpenny (Byker Grove, The Long Shadow) and Rupert Penry-Jones (Persuasion, Whitechapel) as middle-aged married couple Emma and John Barnett, who, along with their daughter Beth, live an idyllic life in the seemingly quiet cul-de-sac Shelbury Drive. But when they decide to add a kitchen extension to their house, their supposedly peaceful street proves not to be quite as harmonious as they thought.
With a cast of familiar faces and a high-stakes, twisty plot filled with secrets and paranoia, The Feud has all the hallmarks of a classic Channel 5 drama. The series is penned by Aschlin Ditta, whose previous credits include Channel 5’s The Inheritance, while Andy de Emmony, known for his work on BBC’s hit thriller Vigil and the BBC drama The Nest, directs. Intrigued? Keep reading to find out more, including what viewers have said about the show.
© Simon Rogers / Channel 5 Television / Lonesome Pine
The series is set on the quiet cul-de-sac, Shelbury Drive
What is The Feud about?
The series follows Emma and John Barnett, who live a quiet life on Shelbury Drive with their daughter Beth (Megan Trower). They’re close friends with their neighbours, Sonia and Alan, played by Amy Nuttall (Downton Abbey, Mr Bates vs The Post Office) and Ray Fearon (Fleabag, Harry Potter), and are also fond of older couple, Derek and Barbara, played by James Fleet (Unforgotten, Bridgerton) and Tessa Peake-Jones (Grantchester, Only Fools and Horses).
The synopsis continues: “The close friendships in this seemingly peaceful street prove to be not quite as harmonious as they seem. When Emma and John decide to add a kitchen extension to their house, things quickly start to spin drastically out of control. As objections to the plans are raised, unexpected skeletons and life-threatening secrets begin to rise to the surface. Laced with menace, The Feud reveals how Emma’s aspirational dream turns sharply into obsession, paranoia, and fear. One decision sets in motion events that have unforeseeable consequences for both her and the people living on her street.”
Leading star Jill teased the series as a “tense thriller”. “No one is being honest about what they’re doing or how they’re feeling, which makes for exciting television,” she previously told Channel 5. “Even my character Emma, who feels she’s deeply honest, still lies. It’s a scenario we can all relate to, most people have WhatsApp groups, and most people have experienced neighbours having work done to their house. But, where The Feud takes us is the stuff of nightmares.”
WATCH: The trailer for The Feud
© Channel 5
The series received mixed reviews from viewers
What have viewers said about The Feud?
The series has received mixed reviews from viewers, with some praising the cast on social media while others were left unimpressed by “plot holes”. One person wrote: “Until episode 6 I thought it was great then it all went to pot with a rushed ending and more questions than answers,” while another added: “The storylines are preposterous & some of the behaviours by the characters were difficult to take as believable.”
However, not all viewers were disappointed with the show, with one person writing on X: “This cast is absolutely banging, whoever put this together deserves an award. Bravo! #TheFeud,” while another added: “Just finished watching The Feud on Netflix. It’s a solid 9.”
© Simon Rogers / Lonesome Pine Productions / Channel 5
The series received mixed reviews from critics
What have critics said about the show?
TV critics were also divided over the show, with The Telegraph dishing out just one star in its review, which described the series as “a domestic thriller that is startling in its unoriginality”. Meanwhile, The i Paper awarded three stars and called the show “a typical 5 thriller – over the top and silly”.
© Lonesome Pine Productions / © Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited
The series is currently trending on Netflix
How to watch The Feud
All six episodes of The Feud are available to stream on Netflix. Viewers can also stream the thriller on Channel 5.
