BBC's The Rapture has every element needed for a show that viewers won't be able to stop talking about.
The five-part psychological thriller carefully combines elements of trauma, mental health, the supernatural and a good dollop of climate change, with unmissable results.
Airing on BBC One and iPlayer from July 26, The Rapture is based on Liz Jensen's novel of the same name, and is set during a heatwave - anyone who has been living through the last couple of months in the UK will relate to this instantly, and this is also where the climate change element of the story comes in.
The trauma and supernatural branches come from the unravelling story between psychologist Dr Gabs Fox (Ruth Madeley) and a teenage psychiatric hospital patient called Bethany Krall (India Amarteifio.)
Dr Fox suffers a life-altering car accident that leaves her husband dead, and her paralysed and wheelchair bound. Back at work in a new job and dealing with a lot of anguish, she's assigned the case of 17-year-old inmate Bethany.
Bethany was sectioned for brutally killing her mother, Carys Krall, simply because she'd prophesised the way she'd die before it happened. Her father Leonard Krall (Sam Hazeldine) leads an online spiritual movement/possible cult called Faith Way, and has vast numbers of followers.
Bethany is the intriguing focal point of the story because she can pluck private details of people's lives from nowhere, claiming she has visions of the future. Her named nurse alarmingly insists Bethany’s predictions always come true.
Working with Bethany forces Dr Fox to reassess everything she thinks she knows. Can people really see into the future and can supernatural forces be at work that have zero clinical explanation?
Is the doctor being manipulated by a teenager with a wild imagination and a bit of luck on her side? Did Bethany really kill her mother and did her father's line of 'work' have any involvement?
It's not only the characters who have big questions, it's viewers who will also be left wondering about life and its existential possibilities.
There's not only all of this to look forward to in the show, but the cast is absolutely stellar, bringing the drama - and the questions - together perfectly.
Alongside Ruth Madeley and India Amarteifio at the helm, you'll also find Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Jack Farthing (Industry), Stephen Campbell Moore (Masters of the Air), and Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey) among the talented actors showcasing their skills.
Speaking about The Rapture, Ruth Madeley says, "There are so many themes. There’s climate change, there’s mental health issues, there’s disability, there’s general female life."
She continues, "The great thing is that the story is so compelling. It’s a psychological thriller, so there’s a lot going on, and its high stakes all the time. The way these subjects are woven into the world of The Rapture is really beautiful."
Reflecting on the original novel, India Amarteifio shares, "What’s amazing about Liz Jensen’s book is that it was written over a decade ago, but if anything, it’s more relevant now in terms of climate change, how we treat people with mental health needs, and how we also, as a society, ostracise people who need the most help."
"It’s important to talk about that, because it is an actuality of what’s going on. I guess the fact that we get to tackle those issues head on is something I’m proud to be a part of."
The Rapture airs on BBC One and iPlayer from July 26.
