There are some crime dramas that stay with you long after you’ve watched them, like Jodie Comer’s Thirteen. Her 2016 drama was such a hit with viewers that it became the most-requested show on BBC iPlayer, with fans hailing it “the crime drama of the year” – and fortunately for the Killing Eve star’s fans, the exceptional series is available to binge tonight.
The drama features a fantastic central performance from Jodie as a 26-year-old Ivy Moxam, who escapes her kidnapper after 13 years spent confined in a cellar – and it’s a fascinating, and brutally honest, look at life after captivity. While Ivy’s assimilation back to her old life is deeply challenging for her, its impact on those around her is also explored in often painful detail.
Before you dive into the first episode, here’s everything you need to know about Thirteen, including the plot, cast and why it's worth watching.
What is Thirteen about?
As we mentioned, the five-part series stars Jodie Comer as Ivy Moxam, a 26-year-old woman who, after being held captive by a kidnapper for 13 years, finally escapes. For more than a decade, a cellar has been her prison, but now she can finally return home to her family and to her old life. But that’s just the beginning of the story...
Only Ivy knows – and understands - her kidnapper – and only she can help DI Carne and DS Merchant snare him. But as leads run cold and the kidnapper evades capture, the police begin to suspect Ivy isn’t telling them the whole truth. There are anomalies in her statement and outright lies, so what really happened in the cellar and does Ivy actually want her kidnapper to be caught?
Amidst the investigation, the series explores Ivy’s transition back into ‘normal’ life and the pressures and challenges that come with it, for both Ivy and her family. Written by Marnie Dickens, the series is, at its core, a psychological drama about who to trust when you can't even trust yourself.
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Jodie Comer told the BBC of the series: “Imagine the most unimaginable happening. Life turning completely on its head, with the actions of one person affecting so many lives. We as humans, even though we doubt ourselves, have this amazing strength within us to cope in the most terrifying situations, and Marnie explores that so beautifully.”
She shared how the role pushed her to her limits, explaining: “It’s completely different to anything else I’ve done and nothing like the characters I played in My Mad Fat Diary and Doctor Foster. It completely took my 100% focus and there was no day filming where I didn’t concentrate, even if it was just the way Ivy moves.
“It was really tough but it was a great challenge. When you get scripts and you really enjoy reading them, you know it’s a good project. I was so keen to read more of them after the first script which we auditioned with. Playing Ivy, I had to imagine the unimaginable - it pushed me to my limits as an actress and it’s been a real challenge.”
Who’s in the cast of Thirteen?
The cast of Thirteen includes:
- Jodie Comer (Doctor Foster, Killing Eve)
- Aneurin Barnard (War and Peace)
- Richard Rankin (From Darkness)
- Valene Kane (The Fall, ‘71)
- Natasha Little (Wolf Hall)
- Stuart Graham (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
- Joe Layton (Tatau)
- Katherine Rose Morley (Last Tango in Halifax)
- Eleanor Wyld (Misfits)
- Ariyon Bakare (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell)
- Nicholas Farrell (Chariots of Fire)
- Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Delicious)
- Melina Matthews (Black Beach)
- Chipo Chung (Black Cake)
- Colin Mace (Maigret)
- Suzette Llewellyn (Mr Loverman)
- Charles Babalola (Bancroft)
Is there a trailer for Thirteen?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Thirteen below.
Is Thirteen any good?
Yes - Jodie’s performance is, unsurprisingly, outstanding, but the story itself is haunting, emotional and deeply fascinating. The premise might not be an entirely original one, but it feels fresh, largely thanks to strong performances across the board. When it was released in 2016, it was so popular that it became the most-requested show on BBC iPlayer that year, amassing over 3 million requests.
How can I watch Thirteen?
You can watch all five episodes of Thirteen on BBC iPlayer now.
What other Jodie Comer dramas can I watch now?
For a creepy but captivating series, we’d recommend Rillington Place. The three-part drama, which also first aired in 2016, is based on the case of real-life serial killer John Christie (played by Tim Roth). The series portrays how, during the 1940s and 1950s, Christie murdered at least eight people, including his wife Ethel Christie (Samantha Morton) and his tenant Beryl Evans (Jodie Comer), inside his flat at 10 Rillington Place in London’s Notting Hill. You can watch Rillington Place now on BBC iPlayer. If you’re a period drama fan, you’ll enjoy The White Princess. Based on the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory, the series centres around the marriage of Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy) and Elizabeth of York (Jodie Comer), which ended the Wars of the Roses by bringing together the houses of Lancaster and York. You can watch The White Princess on Channel 4. For more great performances from Jodie, check out our pick of her best roles here.
