BBC crime drama Guilt, set in Edinburgh, has viewers on the edge of their seats, with praise for its 'addictive,' 'tense,' and 'well-written' storytelling. The series, which first aired in 2019, follows two brothers whose lives unravel after a deadly mistake.
Brothers' Dark Secret
Max and Jake, played by Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives, are Edinburgh brothers whose lives take a dark turn when they accidentally run over and kill an elderly man while driving home from a wedding. Max is a successful lawyer, while Jake runs a record shop. The pair are uninsured and under the influence, and instead of contacting police, they make the desperate decision to cover up what happened.
The official BBC synopsis reads: "Two Edinburgh brothers seem to get away with a crime but soon discover they can trust no-one, including each other, in a pitch-black, twist-filled thriller."
Twists and Filming Locations
It soon becomes clear the death of Walter may not be as straightforward as the brothers first thought. As they attempt to hide their involvement, Max and Jake become increasingly suspicious of those around them. Their lies begin to catch up with them, while the people connected to Walter's death threaten to expose the truth.
Despite being set in Edinburgh's Leith, much of the series was actually filmed in Glasgow. Filming locations included Parkhouse Business Park, the Clydebank shipyards, and Glasgow Caledonia University, while certain scenes were filmed in Edinburgh's Calton Hill and Charlotte Square.
Viewer Praise
Since airing, Guilt has received plenty of praise from viewers. One described it as: "Great dark humour, starts off quite amusing gets darker. Great show, sinister and well acted." Another praised the writing and acting, saying: "The first season of Guilt is one of the most interesting, tense, and well-written suspense shows in recent times. It's full of intricate, well-crafted twists and turns, characters that feel like real people, side-plots that come together in wonderful ways. The acting is superb, especially Jamie Sives and Emun Elliot, but all the others are good. All in all, it makes for perfect binge watching."
One viewer compared the show to American black comedy crime drama Fargo, writing: "Good show and addictive. Interesting twists and turns that I did not see coming. It was said this was the Scottish Fargo and I did not believe it as first, however by the end of the first series I though this was a good description." While a fourth viewer simply stated: "Well that was phenomenal telly. Every second was pure perfection. Is it too soon to watch again? #Guilt."
Guilt aired on BBC Scotland from 2019 to 2023, with three series containing four episodes each, all running for just under an hour. All three series are currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
