Until I Kill You - miniseries

Until I Kill You gets under your skin.Until I Kill You is inspired by a true story. In addition to desk research, the victim's book Living with a Serial Killer is the main source of inspiration. This impressive and very threatening story about (domestic) violence is made even more painful by the victim's helplessness, her social environment and a flawed police investigation. The acting talents of Anna Maxwell Martin and Shaun Evans are used to the utmost. Anna plays an incredibly realistic Delia Balmer. Shaun shows that despite his sweet appearance, he knows how to sharply portray the dark side of people in his role as John Sweeney.

Survival is not always a blessing.

Delia Balmer is a headstrong Canadian woman. Her apartment has no furniture. This way she can easily travel further. She works in nursing but makes little contact with her colleagues. Only one of them manages to break through Delia's wall. When Delia lets herself be dragged along to the pub, she meets the carpenter John Sweeney. His raw charm appeals to her. Although Delia keeps her distance at first, John slowly but surely manages to gain more influence over her. Before she knows it, he is living with her and she can no longer get rid of him.



John increasingly shows his bad side. He becomes more and more aggressive and threatening. Where Delia could appreciate his recalcitrant behavior in the beginning, she is increasingly pushed into a corner. The relationship becomes more violent. When it turns out that John has an even darker past, it becomes increasingly difficult for Delia to escape from this situation. The threat increases further and further. The once independent strong woman becomes increasingly submissive and fearful. When Delia manages to escape from this situation after a major incident, she comes into contact with a police force that does not take her seriously. Moreover, it turns out that the police and justice do not really know how to deal with the situation.

The acting talents of Anna Maxwell Martin and Shaun Evans are used to the utmost.

Delia becomes angrier and angrier. Her aggressive attitude and her alcohol consumption do not help her in this complex situation. She seems to want to hold on to her independence. In this mood she makes several remarkable choices. Among other things, it causes her to almost lose her life. The police investigation does not help her any further. It rather causes her to increasingly distance herself from everything and everyone around her. The only one who can break through the wall around Delia is her colleague. When she disappears from the picture, Delia becomes completely alone. Even a relationship with a gentle man cannot save her from this malaise.

Until I Kill You is a compelling story about domestic violence. It shows how a relationship becomes increasingly poisoned and what that does to someone. The story is symbolic of everything that can go wrong. The most strange thing is that after this miniseries you realize that survival is not always a blessing. Delia's fight has scarred her for life. The knowledge that it could have helped if the police had intervened much more adequately makes it even more painful.

The actors make an impression despite the complex story and characters. We have of course seen that Shaun Evans can give difficult roles an excellent shape in his interpretation of Endeavour. His interpretation of John is perhaps the superlative of that achievement. Anna Maxwell Martin makes an even greater impression if possible. The headstrong Delia is convincingly portrayed. The downfall of Delia into an unstable, angry and frustrated woman who starts to feel increasingly powerless is also in good hands with Anna.



The series is typically British in every way. Strong acting and fantastically shot images that fit the time in which it is set. This is partly why the story really gets to you. In just four episodes, Until I Kill You manages to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. One moment you curse Delia because she stays with John despite all the signals and warnings. The next moment you empathize intensely with her because almost no one wants to believe her. Only to become frustrated again by her anger and bluntness. Something that does not help her at all. Until I Kill You is a rollercoaster of emotions.

Until I Kill You is a bit of a torture for the soul. So much pain, suffering and inability. You could almost say that 'fortunately' it only lasts four episodes. In those four episodes you are effectively and painfully effectively taken along in an extremely uncomfortable story. However, there is also positivity. To find out what this is, you will have to watch the series.