Three lifelong pals embark on a chaotic quest to solve the mystery of their old friend's suspicious death and keep their own dark secret under wraps.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.6/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Metacritic: 79
TMDB: 7.1/10
Production
Hat Trick Productions
Cast
Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Darragh Hand
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A darkly funny Irish mystery with real charm, strong character chemistry, and a brisk, bingeable setup. It’s especially appealing if you like crime stories that lean more on friendship, guilt, and gallows humor than on procedural mechanics, though the tonal blend can feel uneven at times.
Best for
Fans of Irish dramedies and black comedy
Viewers who like mystery stories driven by secrets and relationships
People who enjoy fast, compact binge watches
Audiences drawn to working-class, character-first storytelling
Skip if
You want a straight thriller with constant suspense
You prefer very polished, tightly plotted mysteries
You dislike tonal shifts between comedy, grief, and crime
You want a long-running series with deep case-of-the-week structure
Overview
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast has the kind of premise that immediately sells itself: three old friends, one suspicious death, and a shared secret that threatens to unravel everything. The show’s biggest strength is its voice. It mixes grief, guilt, and absurdity in a way that feels distinctly Irish and very watchable, with the cast giving the central trio a lived-in, prickly chemistry.
Worth noting
Lisa McGee’s sensibility is evident in the sharp dialogue and the way the series lets humor coexist with pain. Rather than chasing pure whodunit mechanics, it’s more interested in how people protect themselves inside friendship, memory, and community. That makes it feel warmer and more emotionally specific than a standard mystery, even when the plot is moving through familiar beats.
Bottom line
The tradeoff is that the tonal balance won’t work for everyone. If you want a relentlessly tense thriller, this can feel a little too breezy or emotionally messy. But if you’re open to a mystery that’s as much about character fallout as it is about answers, it’s an easy recommendation for a weekend binge.
2018 · Curator 8.3/10 (154.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, BritBox, Spectrum On Demand, Netflix Standard with Ads, Tubi TV
For sharp writing, dark wit, and a propulsive cat-and-mouse energy with strong personality.