Netflix's Latest Is A Stylish, Juicy Drama That's A Mix Of Peaky Blinders & Succession

Netflix’s new historical drama from Steven Knight, House of Guinness, shows a lot of promise in its first season. Set in 19th century Dublin, the series follows four members of the Guinness family as they take over the now iconic brewery following their father’s death. Amid the turmoil of Ireland’s fight for independence, they’ll walk a perilous, political tightrope as they fight to make their beer – and their family name – into one of the most famous in the world.

House of Guinness is a gripping drama with a heady mix of style, sex, and violence that immediately brings to mind Knight’s other historical Netflix drama, Peaky Blinders. There are other similarities, with the business of running the Guinness brewery sometimes feeling not so different from the criminal enterprise of the Shelby gang. There’s also a touch of HBO’s Succession to the series, with the brewery’s biggest hurdles often stemming from the family itself rather than outside forces. If given the chance, though, House of Guinness manages to stand apart from those comparisons, delivering an engaging, if at times, predictable story.

House Of Guinness Is As Thrilling As It Is Dubious

Knight Plays Loose With The Facts To Create A Juicy Story

Credit: Netflix / Ben Blackall

House of Guinness is a work of fiction that has been inspired by true events, and even comes with a disclaimer that reads: “Scenes, plotlines, events, and characters have been invented for dramatic purposes.” Now, I’m no historian, but I’d be willing to bet that what’s most compelling about House of Guinness is the completely made-up bits. And that’s OK! Knight is clearly going for a soapy, sexy drama that plays fast and loose with history, and what it might be lacking in substance, the series more than makes up for with style.

The veracity of the story put to screen is questionable, but there’s no denying that the scandalous nature makes for an addicting watch.

At the heart of the show are the eldest brothers, Arthur (Anthony Boyle) and Edward (Louis Partridge), the two Guinnesses who actually inherit their father’s brewery and must put aside their differences to steer it into a prosperous future. The dynamic between these two men, as well as their personal and romantic journeys, form the bulk of the story, but their younger siblings, Anne (Emily Fairn) and Benjamin (Fionn O’Shea), also have their parts to play. Anne, in particular, heads up the family’s famous philanthropy, which, along with political turmoil and religious divisions, highlights the rather dire conditions of mid-19th-century Ireland.

This smattering of real history, though, is more or less just a vibrant backdrop on which Knight paints his story of family secrets, love affairs, business dealings, and political strife. Again, the veracity of the story put to screen is questionable, but there’s no denying that the scandalous nature makes for an addictive watch.

House Of Guinness Is Stylish & Modern

The Lavish Production Gives The Show An Edge

While its story may be historically dubious and fairly predictable, hitting the beats we’ve come to expect from familial dramas about rich and powerful people, House of Guinness does look good while doing it. The costuming, set design, and what is likely some extensive VFX work to make real locations look like 1860s Dublin are all fantastic. The music is equally great, with a raucous soundtrack of Irish rock, rap, and hip-hop. The cinematography and editing are especially modern, often at a frenetic pace that, when paired with a catchy tune, feels very Peaky Blinders.

House Of Guinness Is Led By Strong Performances

And The Supporting Cast Includes More Than A Few Standouts

Boyle and Partridge are well-suited to their parts as the eldest Guinness brothers, but it took a few episodes before they felt really comfortable in their roles. From then on, the pair is fully locked in. Niamh McCormack plays Ellen Cochrane, a Catholic Irish revolutionary, and her involvement with the Protestant, pro-Unionist Guinness family is definitely one of those plotlines that was seemingly created for dramatic purposes. And it is dramatic, so it works. McCormack has good chemistry with one particular Guinness, and while it’s a plot that’s probably the most predictable in the show, it’s still very enjoyable.

Other characters caught in the Guinnesses’ web are James Norton’s Rafferty, the family’s hired muscle, who is a delight in his role; and Danielle Galligan’s Lady Olivia Hedges, Arthur’s wife, who Galligan plays with an infectious glee. Two Game of Thrones alums are also counted among the cast, with Jack Gleeson playing the weaselly Byron Hughes, a Guinness bastard and business partner of sorts, and Michael McElhatton as Potter, the Guinnesses’ Butler. I very much enjoyed McElhatton’s Potter, who he plays with a similarly droll attitude as Roose Bolton, just far less menacing.

House of Guinness is off to a promising start with these eight episodes. A season 2 hasn’t yet been announced, but that’s surely the intention given how season 1 ends. And I do hope we get more, because while it may not be wildly original or all that historically accurate, it’s certainly entertaining and a welcome diversion.