Anna Friel's London-set psychological revenge thriller 'packed with twists' lands first look

New thriller The Heights, starring Anna Friel as a mother looking for the truth, has just released some first-look images. An adaptation of the novel of the same name by Louise Candlish, the Channel 5 series jumps between different timelines as the Marcella star's Ellen deals with grief in the wake of a tragic event.

The six-part thriller follows Ellen, living in London and fiercely protective of her teenage son Lucas (Kit Redding). When Lucas brings home friend Kieran, played by Peaky Blinders' Conrad Khan, Ellen senses that her son might be in danger.

Kieran is described as "rude, reckless and manipulative", with Ellen fearing that he might lead Lucas astray.

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"As Lucas falls deeper under Kieran's influence, Ellen becomes increasingly desperate to protect him — but a devastating tragedy leaves her consumed by grief, rage and a growing obsession with the truth," the synopsis teases.

Coming soon to 5, The Heights also stars House of the Dragon and Line of Duty star Mark Stobbart as Justin, Diarmuid Noyes as Ellen's ex-husband Vic, Stephen Tompkinson as Ratcliffe, The Hardacres' Charis Agbonlahor as Prisca, Natasha Raphael as Freya, Yasmine Odofin as Jade, and Jolly Abraham as DI Wilson.

Speaking about the project, Friel said: "Really excited to be diving into this world, to work with our brilliant director Dominic [Leclerc] and wonderful crew. We have such a strong creative team, and I hope we make something moving and entertaining."

Candlish's novel was originally published in 2021, with multiple reviews pointing out the twisty elements of the plot.

"It twists and it turns and it twists again," author Hannah Beckerman noted, while Little Disasters author Sarah Vaughan called it "smart, addictive, twisting, surprising" (via Amazon).

On her novel being adapted for the screen, Candlish said: "I couldn't be happier to see The Heights adapted for 5 by the brilliant team at Clapperboard. Anna Friel is one of the finest acting talents of our generation and for her to be headlining as Ellen is truly a thrill."

The Heights will air on Channel 5 at a later date.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).