Maxine

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Overview

Examine the investigation into school assistant Maxine Carr and her fiancé Ian Huntley, who was imprisoned for the killings of school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Media

Maxine - Trailer - Channel 5

Cast

Fist Air Date:

2022-10-10

Episode Runtime:

44m

Production Companies:

Clapperboard Studios, Creativity Capital, MK1 Productions, Abacus Media Rights

Genres:

Keywords:

based on true story cambridgeshire child murder crime investigation small town true crime

More Show Details

Vote Average: 6.7/10

Vote Count: 10 Votes

Show Popularity: 0.8175

Show Status: Ended

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 04 May 2026 at 10:16 pm

5 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 5/10 THE SUMMARY Soham, 2002. A town and a nation are paralyzed by the disappearance of ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. But while the police launch the biggest manhunt in British history, the focus of this drama shifts to the woman standing next to the killer. Maxine Carr is the girlfriend of Ian Huntley, the school caretaker who committed the unthinkable. This three-part miniseries explores their toxic relationship, the false alibi she provided, and how she became "public enemy number one" while the truth was still buried in their home. It’s a grim, claustrophobic look at the mechanics of a cover-up and the fallout of a lie that shook the UK to its core. THE PROS This is a 5/10 because, despite the controversy, the performances are genuinely strong. Jemma Carlton and Scott Reid take on the unenviable task of playing Carr and Huntley with a chilling, understated realism; they look the part and capture the unsettling "ordinariness" of the couple perfectly. It hits the mark as a technical production—it's free of exploitative violence, choosing instead to focus on the psychological tension within their small flat as the walls close in. It’s a winner for those interested in the media's role in true crime, showing how the frenzy nearly derailed the investigation and how the public's thirst for a villain found its target in Carr. THE CONS It misses a higher rating because it struggles with its own existence. Many viewers and critics found the show to be in "absurdly bad taste," questioning why a story about such a tragic event needed to be told through the perspective of the woman who lied for the murderer. It settles at a 5 because it often feels "pointless," as if it’s skating on thin ice trying to explain Carr’s motivations without accidentally making her out to be a victim. The script is a bit thin, and the supporting characters—like the journalists and police—often feel like ciphers rather than real people. It’s a difficult, uncomfortable watch that doesn't quite justify the pain of revisiting the case for many. THE VERDICT A solid 5/10. It is a well-acted but fundamentally polarizing drama that left many wondering "why?" It isn't a 6 or 7 because it lacks a clear purpose beyond revisiting a national trauma. It’s a winner only if you’re a true-crime completionist who can stomach the subject matter, but for most, it’s a show that feels a bit too "stomach-churning" for Sunday night telly. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Look-alike Casting: The producers specifically avoided big-name stars for the lead roles. They wanted "unknowns" who bore a striking physical resemblance to the real Maxine Carr and Ian Huntley to keep the drama feeling as authentic and grounded as possible.• Irish Stand-In: Although the story is famously set in Soham, Cambridgeshire, the series was actually filmed almost entirely in Ireland. The production team had to work hard to recreate the specific look of an English market town in the early 2000s.• Directorial Sensitivity: Director Laura Way insisted on a "no violence" policy for the show. You never see the murders or the victims; the entire series is contained within the psychological space of Carr's deception and the subsequent police interviews. THE VIBE Like a cold, grey morning in a town where nobody is talking. It smells like stale tea, cigarette smoke, and rain-soaked pavement. It’s uncomfortable, tense, and incredibly bleak. It makes you want to turn off the news, hug your family, and realize that the scariest monsters are the ones that look like everyone else.

Season 1

3 Episodes

Air Date: 2022-10-10

Videos

Maxine - Trailer - Channel 5

Cast

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Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 4 May 2026 at 11:16 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 5/10
THE SUMMARY
Soham, 2002. A town and a nation are paralyzed by the disappearance of ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. But while the police launch the biggest manhunt in British history, the focus of this drama shifts to the woman standing next to the killer. Maxine Carr is the girlfriend of Ian Huntley, the school caretaker who committed the unthinkable. This three-part miniseries explores their toxic relationship, the false alibi she provided, and how she became “public enemy number one” while the truth was still buried in their home. It’s a grim, claustrophobic look at the mechanics of a cover-up and the fallout of a lie that shook the UK to its core.
THE PROS
This is a 5/10 because, despite the controversy, the performances are genuinely strong. Jemma Carlton and Scott Reid take on the unenviable task of playing Carr and Huntley with a chilling, understated realism; they look the part and capture the unsettling “ordinariness” of the couple perfectly. It hits the mark as a technical production—it’s free of exploitative violence, choosing instead to focus on the psychological tension within their small flat as the walls close in. It’s a winner for those interested in the media’s role in true crime, showing how the frenzy nearly derailed the investigation and how the public’s thirst for a villain found its target in Carr.
THE CONS
It misses a higher rating because it struggles with its own existence. Many viewers and critics found the show to be in “absurdly bad taste,” questioning why a story about such a tragic event needed to be told through the perspective of the woman who lied for the murderer. It settles at a 5 because it often feels “pointless,” as if it’s skating on thin ice trying to explain Carr’s motivations without accidentally making her out to be a victim. The script is a bit thin, and the supporting characters—like the journalists and police—often feel like ciphers rather than real people. It’s a difficult, uncomfortable watch that doesn’t quite justify the pain of revisiting the case for many.
THE VERDICT
A solid 5/10. It is a well-acted but fundamentally polarizing drama that left many wondering “why?” It isn’t a 6 or 7 because it lacks a clear purpose beyond revisiting a national trauma. It’s a winner only if you’re a true-crime completionist who can stomach the subject matter, but for most, it’s a show that feels a bit too “stomach-churning” for Sunday night telly.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• Look-alike Casting: The producers specifically avoided big-name stars for the lead roles. They wanted “unknowns” who bore a striking physical resemblance to the real Maxine Carr and Ian Huntley to keep the drama feeling as authentic and grounded as possible.
• Irish Stand-In: Although the story is famously set in Soham, Cambridgeshire, the series was actually filmed almost entirely in Ireland. The production team had to work hard to recreate the specific look of an English market town in the early 2000s.
• Directorial Sensitivity: Director Laura Way insisted on a “no violence” policy for the show. You never see the murders or the victims; the entire series is contained within the psychological space of Carr’s deception and the subsequent police interviews.
THE VIBE
Like a cold, grey morning in a town where nobody is talking. It smells like stale tea, cigarette smoke, and rain-soaked pavement. It’s uncomfortable, tense, and incredibly bleak. It makes you want to turn off the news, hug your family, and realize that the scariest monsters are the ones that look like everyone else.

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