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Fingersmith

Fingersmith

Two young women, one passion.

2005Miniseries1 season3 episodes~60 min/epNot RatedMidcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

A young woman is hired as a maid to an heiress who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering uncle. But, the maid has a secret: she is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a gentleman to help him seduce the heiress to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until the women discover some unexpected emotions.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Fingersmith?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Fingersmith streaming on AMC+ and BritBox.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about Fingersmith?

Fingersmith earns 6 badges, led by Standout acting and Memorable characters.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Fingersmith worth watching?

Fingersmith's Midcredits score is the 82nd percentile of all shows, from 11K ratings across 2 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

82nd percentile

Better received than 82% of shows

81st percentile among Crime77th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)74th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

76 /100

74th percentile of all shows

77th percentile among Crime67th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

86% liked it

85th percentile of all shows

82nd percentile among Crime81st percentile among 2000s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

83rd percentile

11K ratings across platforms

71st percentile among Crime76th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 38% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors acknowledge the series' intricate, twist-heavy plot and strong central performances, though they differ on whether these elements make for compelling viewing.

Fans praised

  • lead performances by Sally Hawkins and Elaine Cassidy are revelatory, with palpable chemistry
  • script and adaptation stay faithful to Sarah Waters' novel while deepening the emotional stakes
  • twist-laden plot keeps viewers riveted across all three episodes

Detractors panned

  • pacing drags in long stretches with little happening
  • some find the plot convoluted and hard to follow
  • one review calls it a slog unworthy of its high rating

What stands out

Acting92

lead actresses' chemistry and nuanced performances universally lauded

Characters85

well-fleshed-out protagonists with emotional depth

Emotional impact85

deeply moving romance that resonates beyond the plot

Atmosphere80

immersive recreation of Victorian London and country estates

TensionDivisive78

twists maintain suspense, though credibility sometimes questioned

Plot and storyDivisive70

intricate, twist-filled narrative praised for intrigue but criticized for credibility

PacingDivisive45

long stretches of inaction and uneven rhythm

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 16 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

Episodes

1 season

Miniseries · 2005 · 3 episodes

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Mar 27, 200558 min
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Apr 3, 200559 min
  • S1E3

    Episode 3

    Apr 10, 200560 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Fingersmith like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and intense — a slow-burn watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicRomanticCathartic
Heaviest: late
Register
WarmMelodramatic · 9% of shows: Heightened emotion, played large.Cold and cerebral · 6% of shows: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 3% of shows: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series plays its intricate period drama entirely straight, with moments of tenderness and tension, never winking at the audience despite the layered con.
The rideThe series maintains a high simmer of tension and melancholy throughout, with the emotional weight peaking in the final episode as betrayals are revealed and reconciliations are forged.
StructureThe story is told out of chronological order, with key revelations from the past presented in a retrospective frame that shifts the viewer's understanding of earlier events.
Episode formatThe three episodes form a single continuous story; each ends on a cliffhanger and the narrative cannot be reordered.
Season formatThe miniseries tells one complete story over a single season.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulCathartic · 3% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe intricate betrayals and emotional turmoil resolve into a hard-won reunion, leaving viewers with a sense of hope and emotional release.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7% (this title): Redemption 1% (this title) · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

7% of shows fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

Why this archetypeMaud and Sue's parallel journeys toward self-knowledge and love, emerging from betrayal and constraint, follow a redemption subtype: both must confront their complicity and choose a different path.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% (this title) · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

IdentityRomantic love · 10% of showsBetrayal · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series interrogates how identity is forged, stolen, and reclaimed through a labyrinth of deception, class pretence, and forbidden love.
StanceThe series interrogates identity and class by forcing both heroines to perform false selves, ultimately asking whether a self can be recovered after it has been stolen.

The world

19th centuryRuralUrbanDomesticInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Richard Blackford
SettingVictorian London's criminal slums and a secluded country estate
MusicThe lush, melancholic strings underscore the tension between the two women and the oppressive atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Fingersmith okay for kids?

Not Rated

Fingersmith is not rated. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (45/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an unrated show
heavier than 54%
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (20 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Fingersmith have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Fingersmith?

Cast

Elaine Cassidy
as Maud Lilly
Sally Hawkins
as Sue Trinder
Imelda Staunton
as Mrs. Sucksby
Rupert Evans
as Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers
David Troughton
as Mr. Ibbs
Stephen Wight
as Charles
Bronson Webb
as John Vroom
Richard Durden
as Mr. Hawtrey
Polly Hemingway
as Mrs. Stiles
Demelza Randall
as Dainty

Crew

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TMDB's suggestions for shows like Fingersmith include The Witness for the Prosecution (2016), Mosaic (2018) and Agatha Christie's Marple (2004).

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