Review: Sheridan Smith Deserves a BAFTA for I Fought the Law ✶✶✶✶✶
ITV has built a reputation for delivering true crime dramas that balance authenticity with gripping storytelling — and with I Fought the Law, they’ve once again proved no broadcaster does it better. At the heart of this powerful new series is Sheridan Smith, who delivers a performance so raw, so deeply lived-in, that it demands awards recognition. Give her the BAFTA.
Smith takes on the role of Ann Ming, a mother whose world collapses when her 22-year-old daughter Julie is brutally murdered. What follows is not only a devastating exploration of grief but also an inspiring story of resilience and justice. When repeated police failings leave Julie’s killer seemingly free to walk away unpunished, Ann channels her heartbreak into an extraordinary fifteen-year battle to overturn the centuries-old Double Jeopardy Law.
This isn’t just a legal fight — it’s a portrait of a mother’s love and determination. Ann takes on the entire system, confronting everyone from the CPS and the Law Commission to the Government, the Attorney General, and even two Home Secretaries. Smith portrays Ann with remarkable authenticity, capturing both her vulnerability and her steel-like resolve. It’s a performance that feels utterly lived, as though Smith breathes Ann’s pain, courage, and unwavering determination into every frame.
The story itself is one that needed to be told. It’s an account of justice delayed but not denied, and the drama approaches it with both sensitivity and urgency. While viewers will be moved to tears by the Ming family’s suffering, they’ll also find themselves on the edge of their seats as Ann’s fight against the law builds in intensity.
Visually, the series is beautifully shot, with a careful eye for detail that grounds the story in its real-world setting. The cinematography allows both quiet, heart-wrenching moments and the explosive confrontations with authority to shine through. Every supporting performance — from Marlowe Chan-Reeves, Olivia Ng, Jake Davies, Victoria Wyant, Kent Riley, Jack James Ryan, Andrew Lancel, to Rufus Jones — is faultless, bringing a layer of authenticity that enriches the storytelling.
But ultimately, it’s Sheridan Smith who carries the drama with a performance that will stay with audiences long after the credits roll. In I Fought the Law, she once again proves she is the best of the best in this genre. This is not just acting; it’s total immersion, a fearless embodiment of a woman’s fight for truth and justice.
It is heartbreaking. It is inspiring. And it is unforgettable.
Sheridan Smith deserves the BAFTA.
wheretowatch.tv rating: ✶✶✶✶✶