DVD Review: Black Work

Written by Matt Charman (Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies), Black Work makes its DVD Debut on January 26, 2016 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. BAFTA Award winner Sheridan Smith (Accused, Hysteria, Mrs. Biggs, Jonathan Creek, The Huntsman) stars as Jo Gillespie, a policewoman whose detective husband is killed in the line of duty while working undercover on a case. Her coworkers expect her to stay out of the investigation, but when alarming information about her husband comes to light, Jo loses faith in her police family and sets out to find the killer herself. Along the way she learns of the many dark secrets surrounding her husband, his colleagues, and the criminals they were investigating, while also confronting the heartbreaking realities of her marriage. Also starring Kenny Doughty (Vera), Matthew McNulty (The Paradise, Jamaica Inn), Ace Bhatti (EastEnders), Douglas Henshall(Outlander, Shetland), Andrew Knott (The Driver, The History Boys), and Geraldine James (Sherlock Holmes), the miniseries made its U.S. premiere in November 2015 on Acorn.TV, the premier streaming service for world class television from Britain and beyond. This DVD Single features three episodes ($34.99, AcornOnline.com).

Police constable Jo Gillespie (Sheridan Smith) is devastated when her husband, undercover officer Ryan (Kenny Doughty), is killed under suspicious circumstances. As she battles to stay strong for the benefit of her daughter and stepson, Jo is urged by her bosses, DCS Will Hepburn (Douglas Henshall) and Chief Constable Carolyn Jarecki (Geraldine James), to leave it to her fellow officers to find the killer. But when the murder inquiry starts to uncover some dangerous secrets about Ryan, Jo’s faith in her police family is severely tested. No longer sure who to trust, Jo embarks on her own investigation with the help of friend and colleague Jack Clark (Matthew McNulty). But as they close in on Ryan’s killer, Jo’s hunt for the truth will put her own life in danger. 

Written by Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies) and directed by Michael Samuels (Any Human Heart), this powerful crime thriller dives into the murky depths of undercover police work and tells the story of a woman willing to risk everything to protect her family.

Street Date: January 26, 2016                                 SRP: $34.99  

DVD Single: 3 episodes – Approx. 141 min. – SDH Subtitles

UPC 054961244492                                       ISBN 978-1-62172-444-5

Contains violence, coarse language, and sexual situations

My Thoughts

I'm always excited to find a great show with a strong female lead, and that is exactly what Black Work offers. The mini-series centers around a Jo Gillespie, a cop whose husband is killed while on an undercover mission.  When the police force seems to be covering things up, she sets out on an investigation of her own. The thriller is broken down into three episodes:

Part 1-  Jo's husband is killed while working undercover in a warehouse. When she starts looking for answers she learns her husband may have been in over his head.


Part 2 - Though an arrest in made in the murder of her husband, Jo still has doubts, so she digs deeper into the mystery, even if it means putting her own life on the line.

Part-3 - The full scale of her husband's secret life could place the rest of Jo's family in danger, but another murder forces her to push forward to find the answers.

This was a great show with an exciting story-line and characters you can really relate to. It was filled with twists and turns, but had a satisfying ending.  If you'd like to grab a copy of Black Work for yourself, you can find it online Acorn Media and on Amazon.