TV & Movies

New Thriller The Drowning Is Here To Mess With You

Jill Halfpenny stars in the four-part drama about a mother who believes someone else's child is her missing son.

Jill Halfpenny looks round a door suspiciously. She's wearing a red coat and black top
Channel 5 / the Drowning

Channel 5's brand new "identity thriller," The Drowning tells the story of a mother whose son has been missing for eight years. Starring Eastenders and Coronation Street soap star Jill Halfpenny as grieving mum Jodie, the suspense-filled drama, sees her become fixated with a teenager she believes is her son. The four-part program is tipped to have viewers gripped when it's finally released early this year. Ahead of its release, here's everything you need to know about The Drowning.

Channel 5 released a first look of the intense drama earlier this week. It sees Jodie (played by Halfpenny) growing increasingly obsessed with Daniel (Cody Molko), a teenager who she spotted on the way to his school. "You're going to think I'm mad. It's Tom, I followed him all the way to the school gates," she says in the clip. From the looks of the tense trailer, Jodie's actions become increasingly concerning for her family, including Jason (Jonas Armstrong) Jodie’s only sibling and the only real support she has had in her life.

The Drowning also stars Rupert Penry-Jones as Daniel's Dad Mark, an architect, who tells his son to stay clear of Jodie after it becomes clear she's hellbent on proving he is her missing son. Tense. The star-studded casts also sees veteran actor Deborah Findlay as Jodie's mother Lynn.

So when will The Drowning actually be out?

Well, earlier this week, Jill Halfpenny teased that The Drowning would be coming "very, very soon" in a tweet, along with the trailer.

Filming took place in and around Dublin in Ireland last year, however, the production was delayed due to the pandemic. Yet, turns out there's not much longer to wait as according to Entertainment Daily, we can expect the new drama in February.

Alongside The Drowning's famous cast, comes a production team filled with recognisable names. Produced by actor and director Noel Clarke (Kidulthood, Dr Who) and Jason Maza (The Little Princess), The Drowning was co-written by famed Emmerdale writer Tim Dynevor. Dynevor is of course husband of Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor, or for Bridgerton fans, Dad to Phoebe Dynevor.

All in all, we can expect The Drowning to be well-received by thriller fans who have been waiting for its arrival since last year