Happy Valley fans need to watch Netflix’s twisted new thriller

Netflix has just released all episodes of a gripping new cult thriller packed with dark secrets, scandal and plenty of twists.

A woman in a police uniform
Happy Valley fans will love Netflix’s new thriller (Image: BBC)
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The streaming platform Netflix has just dropped all episodes of a brand new cult thriller which centres on an oppressive Christian sect.

The six-part miniseries is ideal for binging and it features a star-studded cast, including Asa Butterfield, Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran and Christopher Eccleston.

Rosie (portrayed by Molly Windsor) sits at the centre of the narrative and she is a devoted wife and mother who becomes caught between two worlds.

She is intent on pleasing her husband Adam (Butterfield), yet her world is thrown into turmoil when she encounters an escaped prisoner, Sam (Fra Fee).

Unchosen is the series in question and it can be characterised as The Handmaid’s Tale meets Happy Valley.

An individual is being baptized by another person in a swimming pool, with a group of individuals in white attire standing as sp
Unchosen is an eerie cult thriller (Image: NETFLIX)

Similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, the series possesses an almost dystopian atmosphere as it unfolds within a conservative cult called The Fellowship of the Divine.

Adam’s conduct towards his wife Rosie in private is revealed in the show’s trailer as he cautions her he “cannot have a wilful wife”.

Corruption flows from the top of the hierarchy as cult leader Mr Phillips (Christopher Eccleston) is concealing some sinister secrets of his own.

As occurs in The Handmaid’s Tale, the women within the series are imprisoned by those who promise protection from the temptations of the world beyond.

A scene from a theatrical performance depicts a woman in a light blue dress embracing a young child. Several other individuals,

Netflix’s latest thriller is a must-watch (Image: NETFLIX)
Beyond the cult, in the outside world, is Sam – a troubled prisoner who breaks out of jail and crosses paths with Rosie in unexpected circumstances. His character carries echoes of James Norton’s Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, and it naturally features Happy Valley icon Siobhan Finneran.

The authorities’ pursuit of Sam, his deeply troubling backstory and his emotional burdens also bear resemblance to the beloved BBC crime drama.

Netflix’s official synopsis for Unchosen reads: “When a young mother from a sheltered cult crosses paths with a mysterious stranger, she embarks on a risky affair that awakens desires and dark secrets.”

Unchosen is on Netflix