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The Rapture Debuts on BBC to Divided Reviews

The five-part psychological thriller uses a heatwave and climate anxiety to drive its plot and has drawn both strong praise for performances and sharp criticism over tone and religious portrayal.

Overview

  • The Rapture, a five-part adaptation of Liz Jensen’s novel, premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 26 July 2026 and is currently airing.
  • The plot follows forensic psychologist Dr Gabs Fox, played by Ruth Madeley, as she assesses 17-year-old Bethany Krall, played by India Amarteifio, a psychiatric inpatient who claims prophetic visions and denies killing her mother.
  • Critics and viewers are sharply divided with praise focused on the two leads and the series’ integration of climate anxiety while criticism targets plotting, plausibility and the depiction of religious groups.
  • Madeley and Amarteifio said they researched forensic practice, hospital procedures, restraints and medication to give authentic performances and to avoid caricature in portraying disability and inpatient care.
  • Filmed in Wales and promoted by BBC Drama and Mammoth Screen, the series places climate imagery—heat, storms and floods—at its centre and could broaden public conversation about climate anxiety through mainstream primetime drama.