# Four Lives (2022)

> The families of four young gay men murdered by serial killer Stephen Port confront police failings and fight for justice.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/116678

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 3
- Episode runtime: 57 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: David Blair
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Stephen Merchant, Sheridan Smith, Leanne Best, Samuel Barnett, Kris Hitchen, Robert Emms, Michael Jibson, Ben Cartwright
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7428760/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sombre, harrowing, angry, humane, grounded

## Synopsis

Four Lives (2022) is a British true crime drama miniseries created by David Blair for BBC One. Across three hour-long episodes it dramatizes real events in east London, following the families of four young gay men who died at the hands of serial killer Stephen Port, played by Stephen Merchant. Sheridan Smith plays Sarah Sak, one of the grieving relatives, and Samuel Barnett and Robert Emms appear among the people connected to the victims. The engine of the series is the slow, frustrating effort of ordinary family members to be heard while detectives repeatedly dismiss the deaths and fail to link the cases. Rather than sensationalizing the killer, the story builds around kitchen-table conversations, police station meetings, and the determination to force an investigation into the open. The tone is sombre, angry and humane, with a patient observational style that lets grief and institutional indifference carry the weight. Fans of The Staircase, Mindhunter and Little Boy Blue will find resonance in its grounded, real-world approach to crime and its concern with accountability. It is a limited series that suits viewers who want a serious, emotionally direct story about injustice rather than a conventional whodunit.

## Shows like Four Lives

- [Three Girls (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62622)
- [Adolescence (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/164442)
- [Appropriate Adult (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/40377)
- [Manhunt (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/72367)
- [I Fought The Law (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/203808)
- [Steeltown Murders (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/139147)
- [The Long Shadow (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/149477)
- [The Ripper (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/94492)
- [Until I Kill You (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/145794)
- [Deceit (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/108147)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt