The gripping true crime drama, The Walk-In, is a must-watch on Netflix this November. Viewers only have until the end of the month until the five-part drama, starring Stephen Graham, leaves the platform. The series, which is billed as a “thought-provoking, conscience-stirring” drama, sees the Line of Duty star play reformed neo-Nazi Matthew Collins, who works to stop radicalisation of young white men. When Labour MP Jo Cox is murdered by a white supremacist, Collins must infiltrate a far-right group threatening to kill a second MP.
The series was met with rave reviews when it first aired on ITV in 2022, which is no surprise given writer Jeff Pope’s previous TV credits. The BAFTA-winning screenwriter is known for his work on harrowing and gripping dramas, including See No Evil: The Moors Murders, a two part dramatisation about the Moors Murders, 2013’s Philomena and Disney+’s Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. Plus, you know you’re in safe hands when Stephen Graham is on the screen. The multi-award winner has an impressive list of compelling dramas on his CV, from Boiling Point to Line of Duty and Adolescence – so viewers are in for a treat
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The true crime drama follows real-life activist and reformed Neo-Nazi, Matthew Collins
What is The Walk-In about?
The true crime drama follows real-life activist and reformed Neo-Nazi, Matthew Collins, and his work to stop the radicalisation of young men. Set in the lead up to the Brexit Referendum, the story follows Collins as he sets out to infiltrate and derail a dangerous far-right group.
The synopsis continues: “We’ll see him identify a Far Right Neo-Nazi group marking itself out with a youthful clean-cut image, hell bent on creating race war. His modus operandi is to infiltrate such organisations by running moles, or walk-ins, with the goal of publishing information online about their activities to expose and fracture them. In spite of repeated attempts he wasn’t able to break into this particular group. Consequently, they continued to grow in strength relatively unchecked until the horrific murder of an MP Jo Cox brought their potential into sharp focus and they became the first Far Right organisation to be banned by the government since the Second World War.
“Although the marches and the social media posts stopped Collins knew the group would only have been driven underground and that he had probably lost all chance of getting information from within. Until one day in March 2017 when he received an email from someone claiming to be a member. A mole ready to talk about a horrific plan to murder a second MP.”
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Stephen Graham is known for his roles in Boiling Point, Line of Duty and Adolescence
Who stars in The Walk-in?
Starring alongside Stephen Graham in the drama are Andrew Ellis (Clink, This is Going to Hurt) as Robbie Mullen, Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones, 1917) as Jack Renshaw, Leanne Best (Cold Feet, Line of Duty) as Alison, Jason Flemyng (Trigger Point, Snatch) as Nick Lowles, Chris Coghill (Slow Horses, Emmerdale) as Chris Lythgoe.
Other cast members include Bobby Schofield (SAS: Rogue Heroes, This City is Ours) as Matt Hankinson, Dean Lennox Kelly (Shadow and Bone, Maryland) as Renshaw’s Father, Nicola Stephenson (The Long Shadow, Maternal) as Renshaw’s Mother and Steven Miller (Shetland, Dept. Q) as Young Lenny.
Viewers have praised the show as a “must-watch”
What have viewers said about the show?
The series went down a storm with viewers, who praised the drama as “simply outstanding” and a “must-watch”. One person penned on X: “There is so much brilliant British drama out there. I’ve just watched #TheWalkIn, ITV’s true five-parter about far-right terrorists at the time of Jo Cox’s murder. Exceptional acting throughout and a shocking tale. Stephen Graham plays the lead,” while another added: “Incredibly powerful series. An absolute must watch to understand some of the issues affecting people around us. Compelling writing of the script.”
Many also hailed Stephen’s performance as Matthew Collins, with one person writing: “#TheWalkIn on @NetflixUK is brilliant, @StephenGraham73 fantastic as always,” while another penned: “@StephenGraham73 has smashed it again #TheWalkin is absolutely brilliant, very hard to watch due to the nature of the true story but well worth watching.”
© Photo: ITV
The series boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80 per cent
What have TV critics said about The Walk-In?
The series, which holds a score of 80 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, received mostly positive reviews from critics. The Guardian described the show as “one of the best TV investments you can make (if you can bear it)” in its four-star review, while The Independent also handed out four stars for this “compelling” and “disturbing, unflinching portrait of British neo-Nazism”. Meanwhile, The Telegraph gave the series three stars, saying while Stephen Graham is “faultless”, the neo-Nazi drama “misses the mark”.
