Earlier this month, Matthew Rhys broke records as the first actor in Emmys history to win two lead actor awards in the same year. Taking home the statue for his roles in The Beast in Me and Widow’s Bay, Rhys instantly made both of his shows definite must-watches. “It certainly hasn’t sunk, sunk in,” he told reporters after his acceptance speeches, per ABC. “[I’m] stumbling for words, because I really don’t have them at the moment . . . I really can’t quite believe it.”
But while fans of Rhys play catch up and tune in to his Emmy-winning shows, there’s another show of his that was recently released, but didn’t receive the same attention or acclaim. On April 16, 2025, BritBox released Towards Zero, an Agatha Christie adaptation starring Rhys and a number of memorable cast members.
What Is ‘Towards Zero’ About?
Towards Zero, based on Christie’s original novel by the same name from 1944, centers around renowned tennis superstar Neville Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). The series kicks off following the aftermath of his adulterous affair with temptress Kay Elliott (Mimi Keene), which led to his divorce from longtime wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland). Following their highly publicized trial, however, the couple and Audrey find themselves on a bizarre holiday at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of his aunt, Camilla, Lady Tresselian (Anjelica Huston).
Among the other memorable characters in attendance are Mary Aldin (Anjana Vasan), Lady Tresselian’s companion, who has been secretly corresponding with Thomas Royde (Jack Farthing), the lady’s disgraced nephew. Neville also brings his mysterious valet (Adam Hugill), who’s also keeping secrets of his own. Also in the mix are Camilla’s longtime lawyer, Mr. Treves (Clarke Peters), his kleptomaniac, orphaned ward Sylvia (Grace Doherty), and Louis Morel (Khalil Ben Gharbia), a procurer of “fun” working at the hotel across the bay from Gull’s Point. Last but certainly not least, a Christie whodunit wouldn’t be complete without a detective, and Towards Zero has Inspector Leach, played by Rhys. Also as expected from a whodunit, these characters all join Camilla’s seaside home when a murder occurs. Throughout the three episodes, the series not only establishes the context that brings them altogether, but tracks the murder to its origin point, the “point zero,” which is said to be just as important as the murder itself, if not more.
‘Towards Zero’ Is All About Its Cast
From the synopsis alone, it’s clear that Towards Zero not only sets up a classic Christie whodunit, but has an impressive cast, led by Rhys and Huston, that elevate the series to its must-watch status. In Collider’s review of the series by David Caballero, the cast is exactly what stood out the most. “The best thing Towards Zero has going for it is the stellar cast it has assembled,” he wrote. “Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston is a delight to see, effortlessly commanding the screen with an impetuous performance that echoes the late Maggie Smith‘s Emmy-winning turn in Downton Abbey. Both Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Ella Lily Hyland are well-cast and share considerable chemistry, selling the Stranges’ complicated dynamic with icy gusto.” Compliments were also given to Rhys and his take on Leach, who’s “magnetic” onscreen, but deserved more screen time to fully dive into his character’s backstory.
With all that said, while Towards Zero never received as much attention as Rhys’ other projects, The Beast in Me and Widow’s Bay, the series sees the Emmy winner as an eccentric and complicated detective, paired with a mind-bending and intriguing mystery. Therefore, if you’re a fan of murder mysteries, Christie or Rhys himself, Towards Zero could be the perfect next watch.
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Sam Yates
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Jack Farthing
Thomas Royde
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Khalil Ben Gharbia
Louis Morel
