Honestly sometimes when there's so many recognizable faces in a new show or movie, that doesn't necessarily mean that the story is good or worth your time. Though I'm happy to say that when it comes to Toxic Town on Netflix, that's definitely not the case! This star-studded cast brought it, with an inspiring story as well. With just four episodes, this series is a quick and satisfying watch if you're looking for something new to fill your time. Let's get into our review. SPOILERS BELOW.
The British drama is so well done, including the writing, editing, and pacing of the tale based on true events. Even though the story takes place over the span of 13 years and there's only four episodes, it didn't feel like anything was rushed or missing. It also didn't feel like the episodes were moving too slow either. We got the idea and gist of what's happening to the Corby mothers and children, like Jodie Whittaker's Susan and her son Connor.
It's really Susan and Tracey (Aimee Lou Wood) and their friendship and support for one another that's the heart of this tale, along with the power and love of a mother who will do anything for her child. I personally love shows that are based on true stories, and this one was truly a great one to adapt. There's so many other standout performances including Bridgerton actress Claudia Jessie who is seen in a new and more grown up light here. She did amazing. The cast also includes Robert Carlyle, Brendan Coyle, and Rory Kinnear who gave standout performances.
I thought Jessie's character, Maggie, was really interesting because she was torn between her husband, Derek, and their son. That moment when her husband breaks down and blames himself for their son being born with a club foot is really poignant and heartbreaking. And though he didn't know at the time the harmful effects of what he was bringing home, it took him a while to accept she was taking Corby Council to court with the other mothers.
It could cost him his job, and as he says he doesn't know how to do anything else. It wasn't a purely selfish reason that he was against this at first. He was also thinking about how he could provide for his family if he was let go because of this. I thought that inner struggle for both characters brought an interesting and relatable touch to the story.
And I have to go back to Susan. I love her attitude. She's not afraid to speak her mind, but it's not in an overbearing way the way some strong female characters are portrayed at times. What I like about Toxic Town is that even some of the characters who are in the wrong, like councilman Roy Thomas for example, you can understand where they're coming from to a certain extent. He just wanted a better future for his home and bring life back to Corby. And we can respect that.
Though like Des tells him in the finale when the moms win the case (wohoo!), when did he forget to be a good person as well? You want to build the town up, that's great. But that also includes the people in it and doing right by them. And you can't be taking shortcuts to try to get work done faster when you know it's hurting and exposing citizens to harmful toxins. It's so sad because it could have all been so easily avoided in not doing it the wrong way, or if they had listened to Ted and Sam Hagen. Roy's heart was sort of in the right place, but he went about it wrong. And that unfortunately had very real consequences for many families.
As for Pat Miller though, I just wanted to smack him in the face and it's a shame he didn't get what he deserved. He continued living in his lavish home at the expense of other people's hurt. And his company wasn't sued either, so he got out of it. It's a shame that Michael Socha's character, Peter, turned out to be a selfish prick. I was hoping for the boys' sake that he'd be a good dad to them at least. But when he and Susan's son stood up to him? Yes. Susan raised both boys well. A round of applause, truly.
My one complaint is that I think it was a shame the series didn't use Outlander actress Lauren Lyle more. She started to get more screen time and actual lines in the last episode, which is a shame because she is so talented and has so much to offer. Otherwise though, overall Toxic Town is a really strong series that will make you more aware of what could be around us in this world, explores just how far some people will go for their vision or gal even if it hurts others, but it will also make you feel the emotions the main characters and moms do - crying, laughing, and everything else in between. And with a sort of happy ending to an extent, it's satisfying as well. We definitely recommend you check it out! Series grade level: A.
Toxic Town is now streaming on Netflix.