Honour (2020) User Reviews

A compelling story.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 30 September 2020]

The story of the murder of Banaz Mahmood, a young Kurdish woman, murdered in a so called honour killing.

On the case is DI Caroline Goode, superbly portrayed by Keeley Hawes, there truly is nothing she cannot do, it's a sensitive performance.

It's interesting that the story is told through the eyes of the Detective, as opposed to through the eyes of the victim.

It's moving, a case that myself and my family remember well, one we all considered shocking and the behaviour of the men associated abhorrent.

It's a chilling story, highlighting cultural differences from a small fraction of people, views on women that seen so alien to most of us.

The only criticism, why on Earth didn't ITV put this out on one night, preferably a Sunday evening? Two parts, wasn't necessary.

Overall, I thought it was very good, 8/10.

Excellent story telling of a crime that needs exposing

[paul-rose7-246-61823 · 8/10 · 2 October 2020]

Keily Hawes yet again excelled yet again in her portrayal of the determined DCI investigating a vile crime. My only criticism is the series deserved longer perhaps another hour or two to flesh out the detail. It is important that barbaric religious crimes like these are exposed more frequently to prevent repetition and ensure there are less cover ups. A worthwhile well acted drama.

Frightening insight.

[jdhb-768-61234 · 8/10 · 30 September 2020]

Good if slightly superficial retelling of the story of an investigation into a so-called "honour killing".

Keeley Hawes, as always, is excellent and is very credible as DCI Caroline Goode, the officer in charge of finding out what happened to a missing Asian girl. Shockingly, she discovers that she is far from the first police officer to have been made aware that something was amiss in the victim's life, but she's the first to take things seriously. The investigation moves from missing person to murder, with suspicion rapidly descending on members of the girl's family who refuse to co-operate with the police, insisting that the girl simply went away while knowing that the truth is very different.

It might be argued that there's a lack of cinematic drama though frankly I find that a bonus; this is a recreation of a real murder investigation - why does it need to be turned into anything else ? The supporting cast comes across as very natural, again omitting any excessive drama, and the background story throws a frightening spotlight on the cultural attitudes of some minorities in our society.

This is a very decent mini-series and well worth an 8.

Truly shocking

[clmcleish79 · 7/10 · 29 September 2020]

Brilliant actors - I love Keely Hawes - but the second episode was so rushed. One second they were cross examining the witnesses and the next, the father and uncle had been found guilty. Obviously this was a hooray moment but what evidence did they get them on? Can we assume that the forensic evidence was irrefutable? Or that the phone calls that "Keely" painstakingly trawled through, made the mother's statement against the father a pack of lies? The evidence that they said was hear-say finally stood up in court? More attention to detail please, ITV

Necessary Viewing for All

[InnerWisdom1000 · 10/10 · 20 January 2021]

Firstly, I would like to express my disappointment at so many reviewers here who simply missed the key point of this production: the killing ( or so-called honour killing ) of another human being as a defence of one's culture or religion or for any other reason. In this case the reprehensible, degrading and evil treatment of women by segments of men whose actions can only be described as vile, caustic, inhuman and downright evil. So many viewers sadly glossed over this fundamental issue. Sadly.

Of course we can give our views on whether there were too few episodes or not enough, or how true or not the events depicted relate to what actually happened, or whether the director or production team or actors excelled themselves or not. For me, they were all excellent. But that is to miss the point: murder is never justified under ANY circumstances. No matter your family or cultural upbringing. No matter your religion or any other justification. That a young girl ( or anyone for that matter ) should be so inhumanly and despicably treated - culminating in her murder - is something which should outrage all of us...

Not bad, but just misses something...

[cartet-57159 · 7/10 · 29 September 2020]

It's really not bad and I personally enjoyed it a lot. Keeley Hawes is a beautiful actress. It just misses something, and some other performances feel a little overdone/a bit unnatural. Would recommend though, if just for Keeley herself, and the shocking story.

7/10

Great - a story that deserves to be told.

[westr-65801 · 10/10 · 30 September 2020]

Great! I know that it has been criticised by various communities, but this is a story that should be told so that the lessons can be learnt. Maybe it could have been told from a different angle, or more could have been heard of some of the central characters, but the fact remains that, were it not for the courage and tenacity of Caroline Goode, there would have been no justice. Watch it!

Well worth viewing

[r96sk · 7/10 · 1 October 2020]

A short, two-part, series about a tragic real event.

It's a well acted show, if nothing out of this world. Keeley Hawes gives the best acting on display in her role as Caroline. With that noted, it's only really the sadness from the real life story that keeps the show ticking over. At two episodes, though, it's well worth viewing. It does an appropriate job at showing how disgracefully let down Banaz Mahmod was.

There is no honour in killing your child

[sas2014 · 8/10 · 10 March 2021]

Story about a girl failed by her backward family, then failed by police & everyone else. I hope girls in these families & culture learn about the rights in the society and save their lives by leaving it

Interesting theme, dull storytelling

[BaronVonKolisch · 7/10 · 30 September 2020]

Keeley Hawes normally makes decent career choices, but this time her radar let her down badly. Despite her own best efforts ... and she does give a credible, emotional performance ... just about everything else was a washout.

No fast paced action, no twists, and no moments of tension. It was just very dull.

Some may argue that a true story deserves to be shown with an air of realism, and that police work is mostly mundane. Well in that case, get the real Inspector Caroline Goode to contribute to a documentary-style presentation and skip the drama aspect completely.

Most viewers tune in for something that is cinematic and memorable. This wasn't. 6.8/10

First Rate Storytelling and Solid Performances

[mmcshane-08232 · 8/10 · 5 October 2020]

A compelling story well told. The pace and character's frustrations appear realistic. The acting, especially from Rihanne Barretto, is strong and personal.

Recommended.

Moving reenactment of the true story

[Vindelander · 7/10 · 7 December 2020]

Very interesting account if a little over-dramatic in places. Impressive dedication to the case by Caroline Goode in real life who was awarded a medal, quite rightly, after all the cock- ups by earlier police enquiries. Keeley Hawes plays the role well but goes a bit ott with the emotions occasionally. Strong cast and well written with Goode acting as a consultant.

Death in the Family

[Lejink · 5/10 · 4 October 2020]

I remembered this horrific true-life murder story from the headlines it generated ten years ago. A young Kurdish woman five times went to the British police warning them her life was in danger from her own family, as she had in their eyes dishonoured the family name by divorcing from her arranged husband and then seeing another young man for whom she had genuine feelings. The tragic real-life footage of her almost begging for protection is shown in the programme and was repeated as its last telling image before she was callously murdered and her body brutally desecrated and disposed of.

This is the sort of true-crime story which programme-makers tend to stretch out to usually at least six episodes but this time, from start to finish, the whole story was told in two 47-minute shows. While I strongly disapprove when productions such as this habitually use up that extra time to insert extra background on the pursuing cops or detectives, still the comparative brevity of the two episodes here made the action seem rushed. Several scenes seemed short and too much to the point when more plot and indeed character development would have benefited proceedings.

Keeley Hawes played the acting police chief in the investigation, Caroline Goode but I wasn't impressed by her acting, her sad face and teary eyes dominating the screen. I get that her real-life counterpart, who acted as a consultant for the programme, was obviously committed to solving the case and doggedly went about her work to do so but I felt Hawes could have demonstrated more range than just her "about to cry" look which she pretty much demonstrates throughout. It seemed to me that the production had an artificial feel about it which countered the necessary realism required.

There's always a thin line to be drawn when depicting horrific true-life crimes such as this especially when they're still in the memory but by over-lionising the lead investigator here at the expense of a deeper examination of the motives of the perpetrators of this heinous crime, I felt the two programmes here lacked some dramatic impact making the end result emerge as unfocused and underwhelming.

A run of the mill two trick pony

[anthonyjlangford · 6/10 · 9 November 2020]

It's been said elsewhere about Keeley Hawes' detective being constantly on the verge of tears. That and outrage. That's her character's only two emotions.

Unfortunately, that about sums up this 95minute drama. It's not long enough to delve into more human emotion, though at that length, it should have been enough. Granted, there is a lot to cover but characterization and depth has been forsaken to create a stock standard crime drama with helpings of outrage.

Sure, it's horrific but do we need reminding of the context of the crime over and over with verbal outrage and references to culture, men and honour? It feels sexist and somewhat racist. It's written by a white woman so the emotions and opinions feel to be coming from that place.

Yes, it's a true story. It's also horrible enough in content without having to have characters give multiple monologues about it. All of the women seem to get their moment in the spotlight to say their bit.

This material is thin at best. It's poorly written and feels overly judgmental and rushed. Perhaps its running time hurt it but it feels undercooked and overdone, like a chicken blasted in the oven. Burnt but still not cooked.

Terrible, inexcusable crime but that's why it's also inexcusable, that it makes for dull television.

Great work

[eman-52966 · 10/10 · 20 November 2020]

Impossible to review on an acting basis because of the content, but very important to take note of the cancer in this society and the need to eradicate it.

Respectable subject, but questionable dramatisation

[oliveira-7 · 6/10 · 30 October 2021]

This is a nice dramatised documentary of a criminal investigation that revealed huge defficiencies in police action, intergenerational conflict brought about by migration of hypertraditional families to Western countries, and the appalling conditions faced by many women.

However, the overacting is painful for the viewer, and it is the director's to be blamed for that. Too much "emotionalising" gets in the way of an otherwise well-constructed storyline.

A final title helps understand how the UK bullied the Iraq authorities to deliver their own citizens to foreign justice. A hint of slanted morals.

Horrifying

[pjdickinson-27822 · 10/10 · 18 June 2023]

The evilness to which people will stoop can be astonishing but the murder of a young woman.by the family who should, in all normalness, have wanted to protect her is appalling. The suggestion that "honour" was in any way involved in this crime is terrible in the extreme. This is a well presented dramatisation of the investigation of this vile crime and the evil people who committed it. Not all cultures are morally equivalent and this painfully shows that to be the case. Keely Hawes is excellent in giving a matter of fact performance that this story needed. It's difficult viewing and it's impossible to fathom how the perpetrators could, in any way, believe they were right.

Worthwhile case... poorly executed

[Design88 · 6/10 · 11 February 2023]

This is a very important subject and the crime was a landmark case.

Like so many other reviewers here, I found Keelley Hawes' acting problematic. She always looked to be on the verge of tears and she must have worked many distressing cases.

The crime was appalling but she must have been aware of how shocking an "honour" killing can be. The fact she tried to get police help 5 times before being killed did make it more harrowing but she would have been stronger I think.

The young, blonde computer genius working 24/7 to cross reference all the various phone calls and texts was a little too 'Hallmark" in her acting too.

Her male colleagues were restricted in the amount of evidence they were given to follow-up on so it appeared they were less involved. However, they did a great job.

Overall, it just wasn't up to par. It should have been riveting because the true story was strong.

Dramatically insightful

[nancyldraper · 8/10 · 24 May 2021]

This two part drama presents the UK case against the family members who brutally murdered their daughter and niece in a so called "honour" killing. It presents in startling detail a culture that holds reputation above life. Keeley Hawes brilliantly portrays the Senior Investigating Officer that lead her team to unravel this cultural maze and convict the murderers. This depiction is based on an actual case from 2006-2007. I give this series an 8 (dramatically insightful) out of 10. {Crime Drama}

Important story but some issues

[ejb-72068 · 8/10 · 11 October 2020]

Such an important story to be told to raise awareness and to tell this brave girls story. The story is heartbreaking. How can the people who are meant to love you and protect you, put perceived honour and reputation above your life? How brave her sister and boyfriend were too. And how sad it changed their lives immeasurably. My only gripe was keeley hawes and the female analyst breaking down, looking like they're going to cry or quit every 5 mins. This cant be the first murder she worked on. I understand it is an upsetting investigation but speaking as a professional in a similar field you put your "professional face" on at work. Yes go home and cry or cry in the loos, but then you pull yourself together and get your game face on. You are no good to your team (especially if you are a manager or senior officer) if you look like you're going to cry all the time. Why was it just the female officers? The men seemed to be able to set aside their emotions and get on with their jobs. The film suggests that women cannot take on such emotive jobs or men are lacking any empathy or emotion. Really annoyed me. Still would recommend watching it despite this as it is really good.

Boring

[Headturner1 · 4/10 · 16 October 2020]

I had high hopes since Keely Hawes is in it. But it's just missing something? I never felt anything watching. It's like a few other recent UK series that have come out. They're just missing something. it's not horrible by any means just bland and lifeless.

A wasted opportunity

[michaelcartwright-14863 · 5/10 · 30 September 2020]

This should have been a much more in depth 5 parter. It was also let down by poor acting from Keeley Hawes and the younger blonde detective, who was excellent in Detectorists.

Two Episodes Too Many

[cherry_town · 1/10 · 1 October 2020]

A flop for Keeley Hawes after the Bodyguard ad astra performance. Of course docudrama imposes certain constrains on twists and flow of action but "based on a true story" should not serve as predetermination for a dull, motionless an spark-less story. DCI Caroline Goode bears the brunt of depressive omnipresent sorrow which bends her down to ground and puts a permanent stamp of a deep sadness on her face. She will not stay long in the force if every case would rip her apart like this. The accompanying cast including Mark Stanley (who in parallel excelled in Criminal UK-2 and Sulphur and White) would not put Honour on top of their CVs either. Depicting of the Kurd community has been also shallow and prone to stereotypes.

Awful Acting.

[brucefarley-89513 · 2/10 · 16 October 2020]

Within these walls of this Honour production are some of the worst actors in British Film & TV, ESPECIALLY Alexa Davies - who I thought had finished her career in 'Whitehorse Farm' (TV mini-series about murdered Jeremy Bamber) due to atrocious acting, turns up here in one of the main parts, and Keeley Hawes who plays the DCI is just as bad, the rest just blend into its awfulness and unprofessionalism. Plus more - it included at least 2 actors from recent TV true-crime programmes making it look like a mosh-put of the lot and whoever flys out first gets the job in this. Its written badly aswell, and all this together made a very important subject so bland and unappealing. The only good thing about it is that it shows up the incompetent of the English police force, well and truly.

Question

[helenefeldstein · 7 December 2020]

When will this be available in the USA? I am a big Keeley Hawes fan!