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This Is Going to Hurt

This Is Going to Hurt

2022Miniseries1 season7 episodes~347 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

The unvarnished truth of life as a doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch This Is Going to Hurt?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists This Is Going to Hurt streaming on Acorn TV via Prime Video, AMC+ and Prime Video (free).

Highlights

What stands out about This Is Going to Hurt?

This Is Going to Hurt earns 10 badges, led by Top 5% of shows and Universally Loved.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is This Is Going to Hurt worth watching?

This Is Going to Hurt's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all shows, from 23K ratings across 2 sources. 93% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of shows

90th percentile among Biography96th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)89th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

81 /100

89th percentile of all shows

87th percentile among Biography91st percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

93% liked it

97th percentile of all shows

93rd percentile among Biography97th percentile among 2020s
93% rated it 7–107% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

89th percentile

23K ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Biography91st percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the show is a stark, honest depiction of the crushing pressures and dark humor of NHS maternity ward doctors.

Fans praised

  • Ben Whishaw's layered performance balancing cynicism, exhaustion, and flashes of humanity
  • Script's sharp, darkly comic dialogue and seamless blend of humor and tragedy
  • Unflinching, realistic portrayal of NHS staff burnout and systemic underfunding

Detractors panned

  • Main character is an unlikeable, arrogant bully with no empathy
  • Relentlessly bleak, depressing tone with insufficient comedic relief
  • Gratuitous graphic medical scenes and excessive misery

What stands out

ActingDivisive90

Ben Whishaw's performance universally praised by fans; detractors find him smug and one-note

Emotional impactDivisive90

Devastating, cathartic, and deeply moving for fans; detractors feel only misery

DialogueDivisive85

Sharp, witty, darkly comic dialogue; detractors find it mean-spirited sarcasm

TensionDivisive85

High-stakes, gripping medical emergencies and emotional strain

AtmosphereDivisive80

Relentlessly tense, immersive, and claustrophobic hospital world

Plot and storyDivisive70

Compelling narrative of systemic failure and personal struggle; detractors find it predictable and repetitive

CharactersDivisive65

Well-rounded, complex characters (Adam, Shruti) praised by fans; detractors call them all rude and unsympathetic

HumorDivisive65

Dark, gallows humor works for fans; detractors find it absent or mean-spirited

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men even
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart

Episodes

1 season

Miniseries · 2022 · 7 episodes · 6.5 average across 2 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Feb 8, 202246 minTMDB rating 6.6
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Feb 15, 202244 min
  • S1E3

    Episode 3

    Feb 22, 202246 minTMDB rating 6.4
  • S1E4

    Episode 4

    Mar 1, 202244 min
  • S1E5

    Episode 5

    Mar 8, 202246 min
  • S1E6

    Episode 6

    Mar 15, 202244 min
  • S1E7

    Episode 7

    Mar 22, 202246 minFinale

Watch experience

What is This Is Going to Hurt like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — a relentless watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Bleak · 3% of showsWry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.Satirical · 5% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe show presents its brutal hospital material with a darkly comic edge, undercutting the horror with wry humour while remaining deeply sincere about the human cost.
The rideThe series oscillates between high-stress medical emergencies and darkly comic moments, with the emotional weight building toward the final episodes.
StructureThe series unfolds chronologically across seven episodes, following Adam's journey from confident junior doctor to breaking point.
Episode formatThe series tells one continuous story across seven episodes, with no case-of-the-week format.
Season formatThe show concluded after one season, telling a complete narrative arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingDevastating · 1% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves you with a searing critique of the NHS's treatment of junior doctors and a lingering emotional weight from Adam's breakdown.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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).Tragedy
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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1% (this title)
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

4% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAdam Kay, a junior doctor, is gradually destroyed by the relentless demands and institutional failures of the NHS labour ward, a classic tragedy of forces beyond his control.

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 showsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% (this title) · 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% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% (this title) · 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% (this title) · 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

PurposeSurvival · 12% of showsCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe show explores the crisis of maintaining a sense of purpose in a brutal, underfunded medical system, where survival—both physical and emotional—becomes a daily fight.
StanceThe series warns about the collapse of the NHS and the toll it takes on healthcare workers, centered on the dual perspectives of Adam and Shruti.

The world

Early 21st centuryInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernPopSupportive music · hybrid
Settinga busy NHS labour ward and the junior doctors' lives beyond it

Content guide

Is This Is Going to Hurt okay for kids?

TV-14

This Is Going to Hurt is rated TV-14. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (70/100), sexual content at moderate (56/100), language at intense (70/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (42/100) and frightening material at intense (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 86% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 16 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • France18
  • Ireland15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK12
  • Hungary16
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • RO12
  • Russia18+
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 70% of all showsHeavier than 86% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 81%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 86%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 92%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 65%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 70%

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

The reason to think twice is violence, language, and frightening material.

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 This Is Going to Hurt have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in This Is Going to Hurt?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Ben Whishaw won the BAFTA for this show.

Ben Whishaw
as Adam
BAFTA win: BAFTA Award — Leading ActorTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ambika Mod
as Shruti
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Rory Fleck Byrne
as Harry
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Michele Austin
as Tracy
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Alex Jennings
as Mr. Lockhart
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Durant Pritchard
as Greg
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ashley McGuire
as Miss Houghton
Harriet Walter
as Veronique
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kadiff Kirwan
as Julian
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Hannah Onslow
as Erika
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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