This City Is Ours

Critical reception for This City Is Ours has been largely positive, with reviewers praising the Liverpool-set crime series as a tight, unpredictable drama. Critics highlighted its authentic dialogue, local flavor, and engaging focus on themes of succession, status anxiety, and shifting loyalties within the drug trade.

Strong performances from Sean Bean, James Nelson-Joyce, and an impressive supporting ensemble—including Julie Graham and Saoirse-Monica Jackson—were frequently noted as highlights. Outlets like New Statesman and NME commended the series for blending menace with sharp entertainment, describing it as a cracking, highly watchable mob thriller.

However, the show was not without its detractors. A more critical review in The Guardian argued that the narrative relies too heavily on familiar gangland tropes, power struggles, and violence, suggesting the drama lacks emotional depth and misses a richer opportunity to explore the women standing behind the powerful men.