User reviews

Joanne Froggatt gives a tremendous performance in Dark Angel, bringing Mary An Cotton, The Black Widow, to life. Cotton is a well known figure from history, a serial killer, a woman who killed countless victims, generally to profit by them.

Great storytelling, it's done in a way which grips you and informs you, but her crimes are definitely not sensationalised.

It's beautifully made, with strong production values, but it's performance of the outstanding Froggatt that stands out.

Some will definitely find it disturbing, it's a very grim tale. 8/10

This is not a feel-good movie. However, it is a very good drama. For me, it made for good television viewing. It deals with the evil of murder and in this case, guilt does not get in the way. Joanne Froggatt, one of the stars of Downton Abbey as Lady Mary's servant and close companion, is the Dark Angel. Her role in this movie is totally different and she performs it superbly. This is not a glossy presentation and it shows with vivid reality, the hardship of life for both men and women. Men working in unskilled jobs are treated badly and their wives suffered the brunt of their humiliation. One of the interesting aspects of this movie is how she steps out of the role that was prescribed for women in Victorian times. She is very unhappy with how badly women of her status were treated and has no hesitation in using her cunning to survive. The movie deals with relationships, class, lust, secrecy, trickery, betrayal. Make no mistake, serial murder is no way to deal with life's unfairness. What this story shows is where desperation can lead. This woman is intelligent, beautiful and capable of strong friendship. The movie doesn't hold back in this honest portrayal of Victorian life.

Dark Angel (2016) was apparently seen in England as a two-part TV miniseries. We saw it as a full-length TV movie. It was directed by Brian Percival.

Joanne Froggatt plays Mary Ann Cotton, England's first known female serial killer. There's no suspense here--the movie opens with the protagonist being led to the gallows. The movie then circles back to explain to us how events brought Mary Ann Cotton to her execution.

Joanne Froggart must have been delighted to play this macabre role. All those years at Downton Abbey left her with the reputation as playing a fine person with a pure heart. Now she gets to play a far heavier role. She does a fabulous job with the part--you really do believe that she could, and would, murder people in order to get what she wanted.

As portrayed in the movie, Mary Ann Cotton wasn't a demon, and she didn't start out with a view towards murdering her way forward. Victorian times were repressive for women, and a bad marital choice left a woman on her own with no obvious opportunity for escape. I'm sure many women dreamed about getting out of an unhappy marriage by murdering their husband. However, dreaming is one thing, and arsenic is another.

It was easier to avoid detection as a serial killer at a time when many people died young of natural causes. Death was everywhere, and arsenic was readily available. (It was used to control vermin.) Apparently, it's still possible to buy arsenic. Here's a headline from The Guardian Newspaper: "Toxic chemicals such as strychnine, arsenic and cyanide are freely available for sale on the internet, leading toxicologists have warned." Not a happy thought.

There's hardly a cheerful moment in this movie, and yet I enjoyed it. Joanne Froggatt is a brilliant actress. Freed from ensemble work, she can show the breadth and depth of her talent. Even if the film is depressing, it's still worth seeing just to watch Froggatt act.

First let me say, I love Joanne Froggatt. She is a beautiful and compelling actress and I want to see more of her in better movies and series. In fact, all the actors in DARK ANGEL are very good. Laura Morgan, Emma Fielding, and Jonas Armstrong are standouts, and Alun Armstrong can do no wrong. However, the writing and direction of DARK ANGEL leave much to be desired. Mary Ann Cotton's motivations are very sketchy -- something vaguely feminist and she states that she wanted "more" -- and so it is very hard to sympathize with her character. What we are left with is a glorified crime re-enactment from one of those exploitative Dateline or crime channel shows. What's worse is that the series creators try to suggest some ambiguity about some of the killings, which comes off as coy rather than clever. And then at times the juxtaposition of her being a tight spot to a quick cut to a corpse is almost comic. Mary Ann Cotton deserves a better treatment. There is much more to her story than is shown here.

Not sure which side of the bed (or whose) the other reviewer -ianlouisana got out of but maybe is a relation to Boris or permanently repressed. I found this two part serial compelling viewing, well researched, flavour and atmosphere of the times reminiscent of The Village with John Simm and Maxine Peake. Women in Victorian times had a place in society that was subservient and dependent upon male vanity and compassion. Not until after WWI, despite some notable exceptions, do they gain the independence of spirit and opportunity to exist outside the bounds of duty and childbirth. This tale relates the story of a tormented soul torn between the poorhouse and an institution she cannot or will not join. Serial killers deserve to be hanged (so was the punishment of the day) regardless of their gender. Watch and be moved by this TV drama.

Excellent presentation of a true crime story from Victorian England. Joanne Froggart is convincing as the narcissistic psychopath. Not cheerful, but well worth your time.

Donnelly G

Nice production with epoch clothes and location. Not sure about the talking. The story is incredible but apparently true. The reality may have been more ruthless and chilling even though it was in this. We forget how death was routine in these times.

What a compelling drama, thoroughly interesting. I only stumbled across it after hearing the ghostly tale of Mary Ann on a history tour in Durham city. I grew up in the village from where she is claimed to originate and yet had never heard of her. Joanne Frogatt and Alun Armstrong have strong performances and I very much enjoyed the rest of the cast and the wonderful locations including the North East coastline and liberal use of our amazing Beamish Open Air Museum. An unknown and under rated tale of mystery brought to life, I would have only liked to know more behind her rationale but it seems little is really known of her, with limited written records for the rural mining community of the time I suppose it's no wonder. And also makes you question how many other "Mary Ann's" got away with similar crimes!!?

Dark Angel headlines the fabulous Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates in Downton Abbey) in a true story of Victorian poisoner Mary Ann Cotton, in a two-part drama beginning at Durham jail in March 1873.

British nurse and housekeeper who was believed to be Britain's most prolific female serial killer. They say poison is a woman's choice of murder weapon. Mary Ann Cotton is a major reason why. Criminologists and historians estimate she killed thirteen to twenty-one people with her little tea pot.

Joanne Froggatt is quietly ferocious playing against type as the sociopath Cotton. She is totally sinister, yet charming, approachable, promiscuous, stoic, no regard to consequence, manipulative, and completely narcissistic. She also projects the fear and vulnerability of a (periodically) single woman in a highly class-conscious society. It's a must-watch for Ms Froggatt, who acts her heart out at every turn. She's an amazing actress.

Outstanding period settings; great scenery and atmosphere. The period costumes were superb. I found it an overall interesting, an engaging approach of a macabre true story. Recommended for fans of British costume dramas and compelling crime shows.