Colin Firth’s True Crime Miniseries The Staircase Is a Global Netflix Hit

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Colin Firth is a highly respected actor famous for his work in films like Love Actually, The King’s Speech, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and the Bridget Jones series. He’s currently gaining a lot of attention on streaming platforms with his performance in the 2022 crime miniseries The Staircase.

According to FlixPatrol, the 2022 series The Staircase remains incredibly popular worldwide. It currently ranks among the top 10 shows in several countries, including Argentina, Denmark, and Romania, and is the most-watched show in Greece. Even four years after its release, it’s a hit, with over 2.6 million views and more than 22.7 million hours watched.

What Is The Staircase About?

The Staircase is a drama series starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, a crime novelist accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen. She was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in 2001, and the show retells the true story, as well as the making of the 2004 French documentary with the same title.

In addition to Colin Firth, The Staircase features Toni Collette as Kathleen Peterson, and Michael Stuhlbarg as David Rudolf, Michael Peterson’s attorney. Dane DeHaan portrays one of Michael’s sons from a previous marriage, along with Clayton and Todd. Sophie Turner and Odessa Young play Margaret and Martha, Michael’s adopted daughters, while Olivia DeJonge plays Caitlin Atwater, Kathleen’s daughter from a previous relationship.

Rosemarie DeWitt plays Candace, Kathleen’s sister, in The Staircase. Tim Guinee stars as Bill, Michael Peterson’s brother, Parker Posey is Durham County prosecutor Freda Black, and Juliette Binoche plays the editor of the French documentary series about the case. The show explores the police investigation into the events and how it impacted Michael and Kathleen’s family and friends.

The Staircase Has a Polarizing Rotten Tomatoes Score

The crime miniseries The Staircase received overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a ‘Certified Fresh’ score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Wenlei Ma of News.com.au praised it as a “masterfully composed and tonally strong drama” that creates the same unsettling feeling as the original documentary series.

Colin Firth received widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Michael Peterson, the novelist at the center of a true-crime story. As critic Peter Travers put it, Firth delivers a powerfully intense performance in the series, which leaves viewers wondering whether Peterson intentionally caused his wife, Toni Collette, to fall to her death, or if it was a tragic accident.

As a film and TV buff, I’ve been checking out the buzz around The Staircase, and it’s interesting to see how different audiences are reacting. While critics seem to like it, regular viewers on Rotten Tomatoes are a bit more divided – it’s currently sitting at a 59% audience score. It’s doing better on IMDb, though, with a solid 7.2 rating from over 41,000 people. And Metacritic gives it a 7.0 from user reviews, so it seems like most people who watch it generally enjoy it!

While some found the beginning of The Staircase a bit slow, many viewers quickly became hooked by the unfolding story. This character-focused crime drama keeps you guessing, making you question everyone involved. That might explain why, almost four years after its release, The Staircase remains incredibly popular, with new fans discovering it all the time.

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2026-04-29 23:37