Small Axe

An anthology series of five stories looking at the lives of a group of friends and their families in London’s West Indian community from the late 1960s to the early 80s.

Small Axe (2020) is a British anthology miniseries created by Steve McQueen for BBC One. Its five feature-length episodes, each around seventy minutes, follow friends and families in London's West Indian community from the late 1960s into the early 1980s. Letitia Wright plays Altheia Jones, Shaun Parkes plays Frank Crichlow, Malachi Kirby plays Darcus Howe, and Rochenda Sandall plays Barbara Beese, with Jack Lowden and Sam Spruell appearing as figures on the other side of the city's tensions. Each story is self-contained, following its own cast through the pressures of policing, housing, schooling and community organizing, so the series builds a mosaic rather than one continuing plot. The atmosphere is patient and observational, grounded in everyday warmth, music, food and family life, while the injustice it depicts stays quietly persistent. Fans of Top Boy and When They See Us will find resonance in its grounded social drama and its attention to marginalized communities. Viewers drawn to Fargo's anthology form and character-driven storytelling will also find kinship here in this single, carefully crafted limited run.

Audiences rate the anthology positively, valuing its committed portrayal of London's West Indian community and its historical specificity.

• Fargoanthology structure, social drama, community-centered stories of racial injustice
• Top Boygrounded British social realism, working-class community life, institutional prejudice
• When They See Usperiod-set racial injustice drama with ensemble community focus
• Black Mirroranthology of standalone stories tied by a shared theme and creator

Created by

Steve McQueen

Release Date

2020-11-15

Episode runtime

70 min

Rating

7.8 / 10 (96)

What is Small Axe about?

Five standalone stories follow London's West Indian community from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, dramatizing racism, policing and resilience through its friends and families.

What is Small Axe like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Small Axe as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is Small Axe violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Small Axe as moderate.

What did critics think of Small Axe?

Audiences rate the anthology positively, valuing its committed portrayal of London's West Indian community and its historical specificity.

Which shows are like Small Axe?

Shows with a similar feel include Fargo, Top Boy, When They See Us, and Black Mirror.

How long is Small Axe?

Small Axe: 1 season, 5 episodes.

Is Small Axe still running?

No, Small Axe has ended.

Where can I watch Small Axe?

In United States, Small Axe streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.