Here’s where you’ve seen the cast of British spy thriller Legends on Netflix before.
Legends official Netflix trailer
Netflix’s Legends will be dropping this week – and the show has some very familiar faces in its star-studded cast.
Six-part series Legends arrives on Netflix today (May 7) and is based on the remarkable true story of a group of ordinary men and women who risked everything for their country.
The show follows several customs employees, who go undercover and adopt ‘legends’ to infiltrate Britain’s most dangerous drug gangs as they take on the war against drugs in the 1990s.
The British crime drama has an impressive cast list, who have been in some big projects previously.
Who is in the cast of Netflix’s Legends?
Guy – Tom Burke
Tom Burke stars as real-life legend Guy, who trades in his mundane job in customs to become a legend.
Burke has appeared in The Musketeers, War & Peace, Blade Runner 2099, BBC’s Strike, and The Lazarus Project.
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Don – Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan is Don, who oversees the legends. The actor, writer and producer is best known for his comedic alter-ego Alan Partridge, Philomena, The Sandman, and 24 Hour Party People.
Kate – Hayley Squires
The Night Manager, Great Expectations and Adult Material star Hayley Squires plays legend Kate.
Carter – Tom Hughes
Tom Hughes, best known for ITV’s Victoria, The Gold and Malpractice, takes on the role of drug kingpin Carter.
Bailey – Aml Ameen
Actor, director and producer Aml Ameen from The Porter, Rustin and Kidulthood, plays legend Bailey.
Erin – Jasmine Blackborow
Jasmine Blackborow, who has appeared in Netflix’s The Gentlemen, Marie Antoinette and Shadow and Bone, plays legends’ secretary Erin.
Blake – Douglas Hodge
Acclaimed actor, composer, director and writer Douglas Hodge from The Night Manager, The Great and Black Mirror stars as senior civil servant Blake, who oversees Don.
Eddie – Johnny Harris
Johnny Harris plays drug dealer Eddie after starring in This Is England ’86, Great Expectations, and A Gentleman in Moscow.
Mylonas – Gerald Kyd
Gerald Kyd, who has appeared in Casualty, Malory Towers, and The Assassin on Prime Video, plays Guy’s fixer Mylonas.
Hakan – Numan Acar
Numan Acar of Homeland, Jack Ryan and Young Sherlock fame plays Turkish drug dealer Hakan.
Sophie – Charlotte Ritchie
Ghosts, Call the Midwife and Netflix’s You star Charlotte Ritchie portrays Guy’s wife and fellow customs officer Sophie.
Zeki – Joshua Samuels
Joshua Samuels from The Gold, Saltburn and Nate & Jamie plays Kurdish drug dealer Zeki, who is working with Hakan.
Aziz – Kem Hassan
Actor and writer Kem Hassan stars as Hakan’s son Aziz. Legends marks his biggest role to date after appearing in The Sandman, Beyond Paradise and Grace.
Shaun – Thomas Coombes
Thomas Coombes stars as Shaun, who helps the Legends, and has featured in ITV crime drama Grace, Sky’s Save Me, Luther: The Fallen Sun, Miss Austen and Baby Reindeer.
Legends will be released on Netflix on Thursday, May 7
Netflix’s Unchosen has topped the streaming charts, but if you found this cult fantasy series underwhelming, there are four gripping alternatives
Netflix’s Unchosen has topped the streaming charts, but if you found this cult fantasy series underwhelming, these four gripping alternatives(Image: Justin Downing/Netflix)
Unchosen landed on Netflix just over a week ago, with hordes of telly enthusiasts placing it at the top of their lists. Yet, I can’t claim I was particularly impressed by this dull, average cult fantasy.
I hoped to feel unsettled, I hoped to be mystified, but truthfully, this cult drama disappointed. This isn’t a criticism of Asa Butterfield, Molly Windsor and Fra Fre’s acting abilities, but when the script isn’t there to support you, there’s a limit to what can be achieved.
And all of this supposedly unfolding on my doorstep? Blimey, it wouldn’t shock me. I’ll need to keep my eyes peeled next time I head back to Surrey.
Like numerous Netflix smash hits, I’ve noticed the trailer contains more intrigue than the actual programme. Not that Unchosen was dreadful, it simply didn’t quite keep me gripped throughout, reports the Express.
To repeat the text displayed during Unchosen’s opening sequence: “Over 2,000 cults exist in the United Kingdom. Some are closed communities. But many, like this fictional one, live in plain sight.”
While these recommendations may not all centre on genuine cults, they definitely possess a cult-like atmosphere. They’re all wrapped in secrecy, seclusion, and propelled by a mission we ordinary folk won’t entirely grasp.
Here are some of the finest TV programmes, movies and documentaries centred on cults that might capture your attention… and lead you down a deep dive.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)
This four-part documentary series delves into the harsh realities of growing up, living and escaping the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. Multiple members – and survivors – of the FLDS recount their experiences under the leadership of president Rulon Jeffs, who created the phrase that would become the series’ title, and his son Warren Jeffs.
At present, the younger Jeffs succeeded his father as the church’s leader. However, if this gives any indication about the practices exposed in the series, Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for child sex offences.
Ex-members reveal the realities of existing under the church’s extreme regulations, and how the Jeffs’ wielded their authority over their congregation. We witness siblings, nieces and nephews forced into marriages with family members, with male church members having numerous wives and children.
Yet that’s not the most disturbing aspect of this documentary. It’s the forced marriage of actual teenagers and children to grown men. A medieval custom that belongs firmly in the past, not in contemporary society.
The series almost appears too far-fetched to be true, but then you recall it’s a documentary. The accusations and examination of child sex offences, human trafficking, child marriage, welfare fraud, and mistreatment of members and ex-members has shaped the outside world‘s perception of the church in recent times.
In a world riddled with double standards, this documentary exposes the shocking levels of moral corruption in people masquerading as followers of God’s teachings.
The Village (2004)
Haunted by mysterious, nameless beings, a tiny, isolated settlement in 19th century Pennsylvania exists in perpetual terror. Following a young resident’s death from sickness, Joaquin Phoenix’s Lucius Hunt seeks the elders’ approval to journey through the nearby forest for medical provisions.
When his plea is rejected, the reasoning given is to prevent further catastrophes. Romance develops between Lucius and the visually-impaired daughter of one of the village’s elders (Ivy, Bryce Dallas Howard), before Lucius sustains severe injuries.
I can’t delve too deeply into the storyline without revealing the conclusion, but Ivy sets out seeking assistance. Yet, appearances prove deceiving.
After all, M. Night Shyamalan is directing. There’s a revelation… there’s always a twist.
This thriller feeds on manipulation and falsehoods, essential tools for strengthening members’ conviction in their version of events. And bear in mind, it’s their version of reality, not ours.
The Wicker Man (1973 & 2006)
While the reimagining of The Wicker Man might not represent Nicolas Cage’s greatest performance, its initial commercial failure transformed into a devoted following over subsequent years. The narrative focuses on a police officer’s journey to a fictional remote island while investigating a disappeared girl.
The island’s residents have turned their backs on Christianity and now follow a type of Celtic paganism, but something far more sinister – naturally – is at play.
Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie (2015)
Scientology is one of those movements that’s lurked in the shadows of Hollywood for decades. One of your favourite actors or musicians has probably been linked with the organisation.
There’s nobody better equipped to attempt confronting the Church of Scientology than Louis Theroux, particularly after the church declines to participate in the documentary. In typical Louis Theroux fashion, nothing follows the usual script.
Rather, the documentary seeks to recreate testimonies from ex-members regarding incidents involving the church’s top brass, with assistance from former church official Mark Rathbun. Arguably one of the most striking moments from the documentary occurs when Louis and his team find themselves under surveillance and challenged outside the church’s mysterious Gold Base compound in California.
Intimidation seems to be a recurring pattern that extends beyond the documentary itself. Ex-members of the organisation have, over the years, described their encounters with being confronted while carrying out their daily routines – and voicing criticism of Scientology.
It makes for a deeply strange and maddening viewing experience, as we never truly grasp the extent to which the church is allegedly pulling strings behind the scenes. This film brought Scientology to widespread public attention, and even in an age where information is readily available, there remains so much mystery surrounding L. Ron Hubbard’s doctrines and David Miscavige’s tenure as the church’s second leader.
Eleven years have gone by since British crime thriller Prey was last airing on ITV and now fans can re-live both epic seasons which sees DS Susan Reinhart (played by Rosie Cavaliero) investigate criminal cases around Manchester.
While the first outing revolved around a police officer trying to clear his name after the murder of his family, series two sees a prison officer forced to help an inmate escape after his pregnant daughter is kidnapped.
As fans start binge-watching Prey, here’s everything there is to know about the cast of Prey season two.
Inside Prey season 2 cast
DS Susan Reinhardt – Rosie Cavaliero
DS Susan Reinhardt connects both seasons of Prey as she struggles to deal with her inner demons while investigating officers at the heart of each series.
She is brought to life by actress Rosie Cavaliero who was Marion Kelsey in ITV’s Unforgotten season two, Elizabeth Cordingley in Gentleman Jack and Edwina, Countess of Dunvale in Channel 5’s A Woman of Substance.
David Murdoch – Philip Glenister
David is a widowed prison officer whose life is turned upside down when his pregnant daughter is kidnapped and he is blackmailed into helping an inmate escape.
He is brought to life by actor Philip Glenister who is famed for starring in Life on Mars, its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, Belgravia, After the Flood and, most recently, ITV’s The Lady.
Jules Hope – MyAnna Buring
Actress MyAnna Buring will be best remembered for playing Tissaia in Netflix ’s The Witcher, but also starred in The Twilight Saga as Tanya and Unforgotten season six as Melinda Ricci.
She is behind Jules Hope, the prisoner that David is forced to help escape.
DC Richard Iddon – Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
Quick-witted rookie police officer DC Richard Iddon is partnered up with DS Reinhardt to try and track down David Murdoch.
He is played by actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett who was Curtis Donovan in E4’s Misfits and Ian in the Channel 4 series Utopia.
Lucy Murdoch – Sammy Winward
Taking on the role of David’s kidnapped pregnant daughter Lucy Murdoch is actress Sammy Winward.
She is by far best known for starring as Katie Sugden, a role she took on as a teenager, in ITV’s iconic soap Emmerdale.
She has also had smaller roles in shows such as Fearless, The Long Shadow and Brassic.
DCI Mike Ward – Ralph Ineson
Rounding off the main cast of Prey season two is actor Ralph Ineson who plays Amycus Carrow in the Harry Potter franchise, Professor Krempe in Netflix’s Frankenstein and General Tarakanov in Chernobyl.
Ineson portrays DCI Mike Ward who is DS Susan Reindhardt’s superior officer.
After she comes across an escaped convict called Sam (Fra Fee), he offers her a taste of life outside the religious cult, while her husband Adam (Asa Butterfield) continues to chastise her.
The thriller opens with Rosie, Adam and their daughter Grace (Olivia Pickering) enjoying a party outside with the other members of their extended cult family.
A storm suddenly closes in on them, forcing them all inside, and Grace looks particularly concerned as she calls it “the Rapture” – but what does this mean?
What does the Rapture mean in Unchosen?
At the start of the series, viewers learn that the Christian cult is part of the church of The Fellowship of the Divine.
Their beliefs quickly become apparent when Mrs Phillips (Siobhan Finneran) curses Grace for reading a children’s magazine – a forbidden item.
During their street party, a storm appears overhead and Grace looks particularly terrified, believing the black clouds and thunder are the signs of the Rapture.
In Christianity, the Rapture is the concept of an event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and reunited with Christians who are still alive.
Together, they will will rise “in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air”.
The storm clouds in the series represent the concept, which suggests live Christians will leave the earth to meet Jesus Christ.
Grace may have been scared at the thought of being ‘taken’ in order to meet Jesus Christ at the Second Coming.
The actual term ‘Rapture’ is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, it is instead a concept that has developed over time.
In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul – one of the Apostles – wrote that Jesus would return one day, and “we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up”.
Some believe the Rapture is when Christ’s followers will be taken up to Heaven, while those who do not follow him will be left behind on Earth.
The streamer’s latest true crime offering tells the harrowing story of Manuel Blanco Vela.
The harrowing Netflix documentary is climbing the charts(Image: NETFLIX)
Netflix’s dark new documentary has left viewers reeling. It has just added a new series to its extensive library of true crime offerings, which delves into a case that evaded justice for many years until one survivor spoke out.
The Netflix series recalls a woman’s fight to expose Manuel Blanco Vela, a Spanish tour guide who ran student trips and abused the trust of young women by assaulting them.
Blanco Vela, who ran Discover Excursions, a travel company offering trips across Spain, is the main subject of The Predator of Seville.
Viewers learned of how between 50 and 100 women may have accused Blanco Vela of assaults or attempted assaults over time, although only a small number of cases were prosecuted.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the new crime documentary, one viewer said: “That Manuel Blanco documentary is horrifying.”
Another praised the survivors, sharing: “What a brilliant and brave woman you are. He massively underestimated the collective power of women.”
On IMDb reviews, one viewer expressed their shock, sharing: “How could this go on for so long?
“It’s disgusting to see how long Manuel was able to get away with this abuse and how difficult it seems to be to actually convict someone like that. Incredibly brave of all the women who have shared their stories.”
Another shared: “It is a very interesting story on Manuel’s serial behaviour. It’s sad to hear it took so long to be recognised. The woman starting the story seems to have been healing well and hope she continues on doing so.”
A third added: “Every woman that was affected by this guy, I am so happy that you stood up for yourself, the fact that he was running away for so long honestly mind-boggles me.”
A fourth shared: “Unbelievable that that man got away with it for so long. A confronting story for parents and young girls. Let it be a lesson that young girls should never go out alone, no matter where in the world.”
The synopsis for the limited series reads: “A sexual assault by a Spanish tour guide sparks a surge of similar claims from multiple US students. This documentary follows their fight for justice.”
The trailer for the series sees a group of women explaining how Blanco Vela took advantage of their vulnerable state until one survivor set up an online investigation to expose him.
