Your next Netflix obsession is a Victorian Succession, drowned in booze

Move over Succession, there’s a new family feud in town and this time, it comes with a healthy side of stout. Steven Knight, the mastermind behind the gritty Birmingham gangland Peak Blinders and the upcoming Bond film, is trading smoke-filled streets for the frothy breweries of Dublin. House of Guinness has now dropped, and we’re here to have a look at the reviews.

Set in the 1860s, the series follows the heirs of the Guinness empire's siblings, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben, as they navigate life after the death of their patriarch, Sir Benjamin Guinness. Their goals? As Knight puts it: “Don’t screw it up” and “make Guinness even bigger.” Cue power struggles, scandalous secrets, and sibling rivalries that feel like Succession with an Irish twist.

With a star-studded cast including Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn, Fionn O’Shea, James Norton, Dervla Kirwan, and Jack Gleeson, and a story steeped in ambition, excess, and family drama, House of Guinness looks set to be the next Netflix binge-worthy obsession. Pour yourself a pint, because this one’s going to be dark, delicious, and dangerously watchable. Here’s what the critics have to say:

House of Guinness | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

Watch On

The Financial Times gave the show three stars, stating, “In this case, however, Knight struggles to bring it all together, and in its early episodes Guinness has none of the sense of fun that his earlier series used as rocket fuel.” Before going on to add “at last, it locates its own character: a little soapy, a little Downton Abbey, even, but with a touch more grit, dirt and revolution. It just takes its time to get going.”

Empire also gave the show three stars, continuing in the vein that the show is middling at best, the review noted “These first eight episodes are festooned with Knight hallmarks: repeated slow-mo shots of an imposing figure strutting through a blazing industrial hellscape; a brazenly anachronistic soundtrack (with the likes of Kneecap and Fontaines D.C. on the jukebox); a gleefully effing-and-blinding script; and a generally grimy, sepia-tinged aesthetic.”

Radio Times are one of the more positive reviews we’ve read, giving the show four stars, stating “The truth is, if you're aware of Knight's work at all, and in particular if you're a fan of Peaky Blinders, then you may not be hugely surprised by any of the techniques he's using in House of Guinness. In many ways, the writer is playing the hits, doing everything he does best, and simply slapping a Guinness label on it. It turns out, though, that's really not such a bad thing.”

The Irish Times did not give the show a score in its review, but from reading the review, it is clear they are clearly not hot on it “One problem with House of Guinness is that Steven Knight’s understanding of Ireland’s experiences of colonialism is rudimentary at best (he didn’t even have to leave the UK – the series was filmed mainly in Liverpool). He pitches the struggle for independence as a battle between different kinds of Irish people. On one side are Dublin Metropolitan Police units with flint Dublin burrs, on the other, ‘Fenians’ who dress and speak like feral leprechauns.” The review broadly criticises the show's accuracy and how it has been created through an incredibly British lens. Maybe don't watch the show in place of a history lesson.

It might read like a mixed bag so far, but there’s no denying the show will be a hit with it already soaking up plenty of attention. One thing every review seems to agree with is the soundtrack, which is meant to be a cracker.

• Heat 2 to shoot in 2026, says director Michael Mann