Happy Valley
2014
Original language: English
- crime
- drama
- mystery
The story
Happy Valley is a dark, funny, multi-layered thriller revolving around the personal and professional life of Catherine, a dedicated, experienced, hard-working copper. She is also a bereaved mother who looks after her orphaned grandchild.
What it’s like
Grey Pennine light over stone terraces, wet hillsides and rain-slicked lanes, with the camera often held close and handheld on Sarah Lancashire's face so that every tired glance and clipped word feels observed rather than staged. Its palette is muted: slate skies, bruised greens, the warm yellow of a kitchen against a dark window. Sound is mostly ambient, with radio chatter, kettles, traffic and wind on the moors, and the score comes in sparingly, so long stretches of quiet carry the tension. Vibe: bleak, wry and grounded, with dark humour sitting beside real grief. It suits a rainy evening on the sofa, or a binge across a weekend when you want something gripping but human. Pacing is deliberate and layered, building slowly to sharp bursts, and the emotional arc follows a weary, exhausted sergeant who keeps going for the people she loves while carrying her own loss. Intensity is high: sexual violence and assault are central, with brief but brutal physical violence, some graphic moments, and sustained dread about the crimes under investigation. Not gentle. For viewers who want a character-driven crime drama with northern texture, moral complexity and a strong lead performance.
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