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The Outcast

The Outcast

2015Miniseries1 season2 episodes~90 min/epMidcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

Set in post-war Britain, ten year-old Lewis Aldridge is grief-stricken as he struggles to cope with the death of his beloved mother. Left under the care of his emotionally distant father Gilbert, whom he barely knows and who quickly remarries, Lewis is forced to bury his feelings.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Outcast?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Outcast streaming on BritBox and Crunchyroll.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about The Outcast?

The Outcast earns 5 badges, led by Standout acting and Atmospheric.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The Outcast worth watching?

The Outcast's Midcredits score is the 55th percentile of all shows, from 1.4K ratings across 2 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

55th percentile

Better received than 55% of shows

52nd percentile among Drama54th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)40th
Approval (how many liked it)70th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

68 /100

40th percentile of all shows

37th percentile among Drama38th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

79% liked it

70th percentile of all shows

66th percentile among Drama68th percentile among 2010s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

55th percentile

1.4K ratings across platforms

46th percentile among Drama60th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 8% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A dark, slow-burn period drama about a traumatised young man struggling to connect in a repressive post-war English village.

Fans praised

  • George MacKay's emotionally raw performance as Lewis
  • Haunting cinematography and post-war period atmosphere
  • Powerful, nuanced story of trauma and repressed grief

Detractors panned

  • Underwritten script that feels like disconnected bullet points
  • Over-reliance on mumbling and sad stares rather than dialogue
  • Skipped narrative gaps making character motivation hollow

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

George MacKay praised for emotional range; detractors call it mostly moping

AtmosphereDivisive85

Gloomy, beautiful, immersive post-war village; some find it unremittingly depressing

Cinematography85

Beautifully photographed period detail and mood

Emotional impactDivisive70

Fans find it haunting and cathartic; detractors feel unmoved

CharactersDivisive50

Fans see depth in Lewis's pain; detractors find father and stepmother cardboard tropes

PacingDivisive50

Deliberate slow build for fans; interminable and sluggish for detractors

Plot and storyDivisive45

Compelling trauma arc for fans; aimless and episodic for detractors

DialogueDivisive45

Minimal, trust-the-audience style; detractors call it mumbling and incoherent

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2015 · 2 episodes

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Jul 12, 201590 min
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Jul 19, 201590 minFinale

Watch experience

What is The Outcast like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and charged — a slow-burn watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
MelancholicTenseHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Bleak · 3% of showsTender · 10% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series treats its characters' pain with unflinching gravity but allows glimmers of tenderness and hope.
The rideThe series sustains a melancholic, tense mood from the mother's death onward, with only brief moments of hope.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically across two episodes, following Lewis from childhood to young adulthood.
Episode formatWith only two episodes for the entire series, the story unfolds as a single continuous arc from childhood wound to tentative resolution.
Season formatThe series is a concluded limited run of one season telling one complete story.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe story's emotional weight lingers: the pain is real, but the ending offers a fragile hope.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7% (this title): Redemption 1% · Healing 3% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

7% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA grief-stricken boy's journey toward healing after witnessing his mother's death, set against a repressive post-war village.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfTraumaSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% (this title) · Trauma 5% (this title) · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% (this title) · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Survival

Trauma · 5% of showsGrief · 4% of showsIsolation · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a boy's struggle to carry on after witnessing his mother's death, exploring how grief and trauma isolate him from the community around him.
StanceThe film examines trauma and its isolating effects without easy answers, staying closely focused on one boy's internal journey.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Edward Shearmur
Settinga post-war English village
MusicEdward Shearmur's score underlines the emotional weight of the boy's journey with composed melancholy.

Content guide

Is The Outcast okay for kids?

As of September 21, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (75/100), sexual content at moderate (46/100) and drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100). Its violence and drug and alcohol content have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UK15
  • Netherlands16
Overall
Intense · 3 of 5 categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavier than 58% of all shows
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
too few votes to rank (4 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (21 votes across 3 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Outcast have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Outcast?

Cast

Finn Elliot
as Lewis Aldridge (child)
Hattie Morahan
as Elizabeth Aldridge
Greg Wise
as Gilbert Aldridge
Nathaniel Parker
as Dicky Carmichael
Helen Bradbury
as Claire Carmichael
Jessica Brown Findlay
as Alice Aldridge
George MacKay
as Lewis Aldridge
Abigail Cruttenden
as Anne Rawlins
Daisy Bevan
as Tamsin Carmichael
Tom Knight
as Vicar

Crew

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What are shows like The Outcast?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like The Outcast include David Copperfield (1999), Brothers & Sisters (2006) and Life Unexpected (2010).

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What other shows share a tag with The Outcast?

108 other shows share the rarest tag below, relationship: parent and child estranged. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.