SERIES FILE
Title: The Guest (2025)
Creator/Writer: Matthew Barry
Director: Ashley Way
Cast: Gabrielle Creevy, Eve Myles, Siôn Daniel Young,
Bethan Mary-James
Network: BBC One / BBC iPlayer
By Julian Cole • Senior Television Critic
In an era dominated by tension-fueled studies of ambition, manipulation, and power, BBC’s acclaimed 2025 thriller miniseries “The Guest” serves as an absolute masterclass. Directed with a razor-sharp gaze by Ashley Way and penned by Matthew Barry, the four-part television drama strips away the comfortable illusions of class solidarity to expose the darker, more transactional currents running beneath unexpected mentor-student relationships.
The series opens by introducing Ria Powell (portrayed with magnetic, deep empathy by BAFTA Cymru-winner Gabrielle Creevy), a young working-class cleaner who is struggling to stay afloat. Burdened by a lack of financial security and a deeply unmotivated boyfriend, Ria’s desperation reaches a boiling point when she is caught stealing groceries from a local food bank donation basket.
Her saving grace arrives in the form of Fran Sharp (played with calculating charisma by Welsh screen icon Eve Myles). Fran, an incredibly wealthy business owner who witnesses the supermarket altercation, unexpectedly stands up for the young woman. Captivated by Ria’s spirit, she offers her a job as a cleaner at her expansive, opulent country estate.
A Toxic Evolution
What begins as a benevolent job offer quickly spirals into an intense, codependent, and increasingly toxic friendship. Intrigued by Fran’s lifestyle and powerful presence, Ria becomes captivated by her employer’s worldly advice and charismatic influence.
However, the dynamics take a sinister turn when a single piece of advice from Fran leads directly to a shocking incident that leaves both women’s lives inextricably bound together. As secrets from both of their pasts rise to the surface, what follows is a high-stakes psychological game of cat and mouse where neither is entirely innocent.
Class, Contrast, and Tension
Plaudits must be given to Ashley Way’s direction, which utilizes the sharp visual contrast between Ria’s modest council estate and Fran’s luxurious country home to highlight the class divide.
While some critics noted that the dense, explanation-heavy finale rushed to answer its own elaborate questions, the electric on-screen chemistry between Creevy and Myles elevates every single scene. It is this gripping dynamic that has turned the series into one of the most talked-about mystery dramas of the year.