Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
True crime dramatization focuses on family trauma.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Witness
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE WITNESS tells the story of Rachel Nickell's 1992 murder in an affluent neighborhood in London and how the aftermath affected the lives of her partner, André (Jordan Bolger), and son, Alex (Jahsaiah Williams and Max Fincham) who was the sole witness to the killing when he was 2. The show covers two periods—immediately after the crime and 10 years later. Will the murderer be found, and how will André and Alex cope throughout?
Is It Any Good?
True crime stories tend to follow the police perspective of the crime, as that's where most of the available information comes from. The Witness takes a different approach, framing the story as a police procedural while actually focusing on the trauma and grief within the victim's family. It can be a tough watch because of the raw emotion and the fact that the investigation centers around the murder's only witness, 2-year-old Alex. Nevertheless, it provides a sensitive portrayal of a small family living with grief and trauma in the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, making it a uniquely poignant take on a typical true crime or mystery series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the true story this show was based on: How accurate do you think it is to what actually happened? Why might the people who made it have chosen to adjust the facts?
What role does the media play in this story? Do you think this is an accurate depiction? How does the media affect the characters, especially André?
What kind of mistakes do the police make throughout the investigation? How do they reconcile those mistakes? What is your opinion of the police by the end of the series?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 14, 2026
- Cast : Jordan Bolger , Max Fincham , Neil Maskell
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Dads , Single Parents )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 11, 2026
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