A must watch this month.
It’s a Sin is here and it’s brilliant – so make it your next binge watch, as soon as.
Written and created by Russell T Davies, the five-part series is the screenwriter’s latest delve into gay culture and its British history.
Starring Olly Alexander, Lydia West, Omari Douglas, and a rake of other young British talented folk, the series focuses on five friends whose lives are turned upside-down by the AIDS crisis in the UK.
Four gay men and a bisexual woman, the group come together in early ’80s London during a time of rampant misinformation. The then largely-unknown virus had already taken a hold of cities like San Francisco and New York and was steadily making its way to London.
Young boys were dying and nobody knew why – and for the most part, nobody cared, as countless young men were chastised and exiled for being gay rather than helped for being sick.
It’s a Sin is pop-y, fun, and camp, but it’s also a harsh reminder of the pain and suffering experience by so many members of the LGBT+ community not so long ago.
Not only were gay men discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, but they also suffered through an epidemic that killed hundreds of thousands – the consequences of which were largely ignored in Britain until it was too late.
It’s a Sin is at times not an easy watch but it’s a poignant one, portraying a time in UK history when London’s gay scene was thriving, while simultaneously being chipped away at by an epidemic that nobody wanted to know much about.
As its title would suggest, the show is peppered full of ’80s hits, iconic fashion moments, and genuine moments of joy. It’s a delight to watch until its happiness comes to an abrupt halt. It’s unapologetically loud, and it won’t let you forget why.
All five episodes of It’s a Sin are currently available to stream on All4.
