When we think of the Victorian Era, strict societal norms, the booming Industrial Revolution, and Romanticism may come to mind. Female-led crime gangs and violent grizzly underground boxing rings probably don't. But Steven Knight's A Thousand Blows shines a spotlight on both.

The first two episodes of the series are gritty, and contrast with the prim and proper portrayal of Victorianism that we've seen in the history textbooks and previous period dramas. Knight thrusts us into the worlds of Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall), Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham), Mary Carr (Erin Doherty) and Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) Wide-eyed friends Hezekiah and Alec arrive in London from Jamaica and soon enough trouble finds them. The pair fight for survival and stumble into chaos and madness in their newfound city. They get caught up in the dangerous underground boxing circle that notorious boxer, Sugar, dominates.

Like his portrayals in Peaky Blinders, and This is England, the glimmers we see of Graham's depiction of Sugar in the first two episodes show he's not the type of person you want to mess with. He's ruthless. With his bulging muscles, Graham's physical transformation for the role is hard to ignore. Speaking to the BFI red carpet, Graham said in preparation for his portrayal of Sugar, “I trained 5 days a week. I boxed every single day as well” to get into shape. His larger frame certainly adds to the character's menacing demeanour.

Kirby and Lovehall had already cemented themselves as ones to watch in their respective Small Axe appearances. But their performances as Hezekiah and Alec in the series are strong. Sometimes, even in high-end dramas, Caribbean accents can sound twee, but Kirby and Lovehall hold their own which is refreshing. It will be interesting to see where their stories go as Hezekiah strikes a partnership with Mary (Erin Doherty) that takes him down an even more dangerous path and places a target on his back.

Whilst some elements of A Thousand Blows may be fictional, Goodson, Munroe and Moscow are based on people who actually existed. As for Doherty's depiction of Mary Carr, the crime syndicate leader she is based on was real, as were the devious clan. Mary couldn't be any more different to Queen Ann, who Doherty portrayed in the third series of The Crown. She's witty, street smart and has an alluring element to her, despite her illegal tendencies.

A notable underlying theme is immigration. Hezekiah and Alec try to find their feet in a place that is so different to Jamaica. As the audience you can see their hunger and in a sense, desperation. It's something that stands out and allows you to empathise with them as characters.

Those who have a Peaky Blinders-shaped hole in their heart certainly won't be disappointed with Knight's newest highly anticipated crime drama. With tension, danger and drama at the forefront, A Thousand Blows is not to be missed.

The first two episodes of A Thousand Blows screened at the BFI London Film Festival 2024.