Australian thriller about ‘hard to watch subject’ now streaming for free in the UK

A ‘gripping’ Australian thriller is now streaming for free (Picture: SBS)

Over two years since it initially hit screens, an ‘exceptional’ Australian thriller is now available to watch in the UK.

In 2023 the four-part series Safe Home was released.

The ‘gripping drama’ explored the stories behind the headlines of the family violence epidemic and ‘the people behind the numbers and the stories behind the statistics’.

‘In between stories of friendship and love, Safe Home weaves through expectations and assumptions taking audiences on a wild ride that shows just how difficult red flags can be to spot in real life. Even for those whose work depends on it,’ it was explained at the time.

At the centre of the story is Phoebe, played by The Bold Type’s Aisha Dee, a young media professional who quits her job at a law firm to work at a struggling family violence legal centre that is at risk of losing funding.

‘As interconnecting stories unfold, relationships are tested and the pressure mounts to save the centre. With so much at stake, Phoebe must navigate a path that isn’t always clear – and people aren’t always as they appear,’ the synopsis teased.

Safe Home starred Aisha Dee as Phoebe – a young woman who begins working at a family violence legal centre (Picture: SBS) The show was praised for its ‘articulating difficult truths’ about family violence (Picture: SBS)

While the series focuses on Phobe’s experience, it also weaves in the stories of other women facing traumatic circumstances and makes the audience consider what constitutes family violence.

Based on screenwriter Anna Barne’s time working at community legal centres in Melbourne, Safe Home was backed by the producer between beloved Australian series’ Offspring, Puberty Blues and RFDS.

This weekend the series was also added to Channel 4, where UK viewers can tune in for free.

At the time of its release, Safe Home was well-received by both critics and viewers.

‘The drama is always on the edge, and already (given the shocking real-life statistics) urgent and vitally important. The bone-chilling ubiquity of family abuse should make this a topic more commonly explored in Australian drama,’ The Guardian wrote in its review.

‘Safe Home is compelling, at times devastating, but always powerful in its commitment to articulating difficult truths around domestic and family violence with nuance, integrity and care,’ The Conversation shared.

It also weaved in the stories of other women facing traumatic experiences (Picture: SBS)

‘Safe Home isn’t comfortable or safe entertainment. With subject matter like this it shouldn’t be. If good drama is all about what’s at stake, this is one of the best Australian dramas of the year,’ Screen Hub added.

Although viewers conceded it was ‘confronting’, they also said it was ‘superb’ and ‘gripping’.

Speaking about the series’ approach to tackling domestic violence, Aisha explained it was unlike anything she’d seen on screen before.

‘It was the fact that it was kind of exploring family violence and domestic violence in a way that I hadn’t really seen before,’ she told Yahoo!

‘Usually, I’ve read things in the past that are quite violent, and I guess we’re still experiencing violence but reading Safe Home I found that it was getting into more of the grey area and the stories and the parts of the stories and the people that we often miss the things that are a little bit harder to spot.’

She also admitted the difficulties of tackling such an intense subject: ‘I definitely took [those feelings] home. And I think a lot of us did, you know, not just the cast, but also the crew. It was a really intense environment, but luckily, we had each other to rely on in that as well.’

Aisha is best known for starring in The Bold Type with Katie Stevens and Meghann Fahy (Picture: Freeform via Getty Images)

Barnes previously said of her series: ‘Working in family violence, I became aware of the important role the media played in telling stories about this complex topic.

‘Their sensational news stories significantly influence a lot of the general public’s understanding of this major health and welfare issue.

‘In creating Safe Home, we have worked with professionals in the sector. So, while fictional, it is rooted in authenticity and the real-life processes of the legal services.’

Safe Home, which picked up three Logie and three AACTA nominations, also stars Mabel Li, Virginia Gay, Thomas Cocquerel and Antonia Prebble.

Safe Home is now streaming on Channel 4.

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