The recent trend of scandal-exposure series has had us up late on weeknights, saying, “Just one more episode,” and the new hit Netflix show Toxic Town is no different.
This profoundly unsettling depiction of the Corby toxic waste scandal, exposes the corporate negligence that ruined the lives of many families in the surrounding area in the 1990s. Written by Jack Thorne (best known for ‘Elona Holmes’ and the stage play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’) and produced by Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones (the genius behind ‘Black Mirror’). The idea came about after Thorne learned about the scandal from Jones & Brooker. They had been surprised by how unknown this scandal was and felt the story needed to be told to a bigger audience. Read on to find out if this show deserves your time.
The series tells the story of three mothers (Jodie Foster as Susan McIntyre, Aimee Lou Wood as Tracey Taylor, and Claudia Jessie as Maggie Mahon) fighting for justice after their children suffered several birth defects caused by the poor containment of polluted soil when a nearby steelworks plant is turned into flats. Determined to seek justice for their children, the women started a legal battle against the local council that lasted a decade. The series also follows the lives of the workers and the guilt they carried after seeing the aftermath of their negligence.
Toxic Town is packed with great acting by some of the biggest names on British TV. Robert Carlyle and Brennan Coyle play the money-hungry developers in charge of the steelworks plant. Carlyle is an intense, brooding actor with iconic status in the movie industry; he’s a country favourite for playing dark, twisted characters, so it’s no surprise he was cast as a manager for a corrupt remodelling business. Coyle steps away from period dramas to deliver a truly chilling performance as the steelworks owner whose morality is worrying.
The soundtrack is written by Sion Trefor, known for his amazing work on ‘Say Nothing’ from Disney+. He composed a captivating soundtrack that chills you to the bone. His soundtrack highlights the narrative tension and the characters’ turmoil throughout the series. In addition to Trefor’s excellent compositions, the series uses iconic tracks from the turn of the millennium, helping embed the nostalgia of the ’90s into the series. Tracks include; ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor, ‘Setting Sun’ by the Chemical Brothers, ‘Just’ by Radiohead, ‘Round Round’ by Sugababes, and ‘F.E.A.R.’ by Ian Brown.
Instead of just focusing on the legal battle, the series tells the story of the families who suffered, the fight for justice, and the communities that were never the same again. It doesn’t sugarcoat the catastrophe; it forces you to confront the consequences of putting profits over the wellbeing of people. So, this is a must-watch if you’re into hard-hitting social justice dramas that leave you questioning humanity.
Overall, ‘Toxic Town’ will go down as one of Netflix’s best scandal dramas. It’s easily overlooked, but given a chance, this series will grip and have you giving your children an extra kiss at night and thinking twice when involved in workplace health and safety.
Author: Ed C, Chelsea Store
