Tom Percival
Published June 9, 2026 5:19pm
Updated June 9, 2026 5:19pm
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Previous Page Next PageA ‘harrowing’ Netflix drama about a shocking real-life murder has topped the streaming platform’s rankings.
Based on the true story of Rachel Nickell, The Witness follows her partner André Hanscombe (Jordan Bolger) and their two-year-old son, Alexander Louis (Jahsaiah Williams), as they come to terms with her murder.
Rachel was just 23 years old when she was attacked and killed while walking around Wimbledon Common in 1992.
The only witness to her death was her child, Alex. It was a brutal crime that sent shockwaves across the UK.
The Witness then tries to capture the urgency of the police investigation and the dramatic media storm that followed the family as they tried to cope with this tragedy. Created by Rob Williams and directed by Alex Winckler, the three-part series was released on Netflix on June 4.
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The Witness is based on the real-life murder of Rachel Nickell (Picture: Courtesy of Sophie Köehler/Netf)
Now, following its first place position in the top 10 rankings, viewers have shared their thoughts on the series.
Writing on X, one user called Chloe said: ‘The Witness transcends the true crime genre, delivering a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant story. Jordan Bolger gives a standout, career-defining performance as André Hanscombe.’
@chloedanielo also wrote: ‘Jordan Bolger shines in #TheWitness, delivering a standout dramatic performance alongside a solid ensemble cast.’
‘The Witness on Netflix will give you the chills,’ added @Eojaa while @Richarmphotos said: [I’m] 15 mins into The Witness on Netflix and I’m already broken.’
Rachel was killed in Wimbledon Common in 1992 (Picture: PA)
The show deals with the police investigation and the media storm that followed (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)
Kesa, meanwhile, said: ‘The Witness on Netflix was so hard to watch. I had to pause it a few times to finish. Truly disturbing what that man did and even more disappointing the negligence of the police throughout the years of the investigation. RIP to all those brave women.’
Nick then added: ‘That needs a warning before viewing. Horrific,.’
On IMDb one user gave the series 7/10 and wrote: ‘The Witness is a powerful and emotional true-crime drama that chooses to focus on the human cost of tragedy rather than the crime itself.’
Basically, people seem to be really moved by the series, and they’re not the only ones.
The Witness has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (Picture: Courtesy of Rekha Garton/Netflix)
What have Rachel Nickell's family said about The Witness
The real André Hanscombe and Alexander Louis served as consultants on The Witness.
In a statement released on the Netflix website, they said:
‘Our life has been a battle. Our journey has all been by the grace of God and a promise to go on together, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to share our story in this way.
‘We hope that audiences will be left with a testament to the tough battle of life we all face, and to the power of faith, hope, love and never giving up.’
At the time of writing, the series has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Rebecca Nicholson of the Financial Times calling it a ‘moving family drama’.
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Pat Stacey of the Irish Independent was even more effusive, however.
‘It’s unlike any true crime drama we’ve seen before, in that it’s not really a true crime drama at all,’ she wrote. ‘It’s primarily a story of survival in the most appalling circumstances.’
This article was originally published on June 5, 2026.
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The Witness is available to watch now on Netflix.
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