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This new BBC thriller set in New Zealand will leave you on tenterhooks (Picture: Great Southern Studios/Sinner Films/BBC Scotland/Sky New Zealand Originals) The spookiest day of the year is officially here, and what better way to spend it than digging into a creepy watch? The new six-part psychological thriller on the BBC, The Ridge, might be just the show you are looking for. Starring Bafta-winning star Lauren Lyle and New Zealand actor Jay Ryan, this fast-paced series follows Scottish anaesthetist Mia Beaton, who is running from the secrets of her past. As the synopsis explains, when she arrives at her sister Cassy’s wedding to fiancé Ewan in New Zealand ’she’s shocked to learn Cassy has died, fallen from a mountain ridge. ‘Believing Cassy was pushed and murdered, Mia sets about hunting for the killer.’ As she pursues her investigation, she soon becomes entangled in the lies of this small town as she is forced to face the truth of her sister’s untimely demise and battle with her own demons as a drug addict all the while. The alluring premise will have you hooked (Picture: Great Southern Studios/Sinner Films/BBC Scotland/Sky New Zealand Originals) Praising the show, X user Fiona Stalker wrote: ‘It’s chilling, unsettling & brilliant with a touch of horror.’ ‘First episode of The Ridge totally gripping,’ Lesley Riddoch praised. In a four-star review, The Guardian called Lyle’s acting ‘absolutely magnificent’. It continued: ‘It is a magnificent performance by Lyle, who is beginning to specialise in iconoclastic characters who throw viewers off balance and demand a rolling recalibration of entire dramas each time they appear in their scenes.’ The Herald Scotland echoed the praise, adding: ‘The Ridge rattles along at a good lick, keeping its secrets close for now. The New Zealand setting is spectacular, with [Douglas] MacKinnon’s direction lending it a strange, unsettling air. It feels as if anything could happen there.’ The lead star’s acting has been particularly hailed by critics (Picture: Great Southern Studios/Sinner Films/BBC Scotland/Sky New Zealand Originals) Metro readers share their favourite horror TV shows The Baby: The eight-parter follows Natasha (Michelle de Swarte), who is put out by her friends all starting families, and unexpectedly ends up with a baby of her own. Available to stream on Now. Stranger Things: The show follows a group of young children who uncover supernatural forces and secret government experiments in their home town, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard. Available to stream on Netflix. Bates Motel: A prequel to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho, the series follows Norman Bates and his mother Norma, who open a motel after Norman’s father dies. You can read the full list here for the best spooky season TV suggestions. Discussing what drew her to the role, Lyle told the BBC: ‘The strangeness of the character. I loved the idea of playing someone a bit evil and manipulative. ‘I also loved the weirdness and spookiness of the way the story plays out. New Zealand is a bit of a second home to me too.’ Meanwhile, co-star Ryan echoed: ‘There is a gothic tone that really seems to sit well in the rural New Zealand setting and the final twist of the story had me screaming aloud. I really did not see it coming.’ The Ridge is streaming now on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
