Domino Day, BBC Three's latest supernatural YA series, arrives cloaked in atmosphere and ambition - all neon-lit aesthetics, slow glances, and spells whispered like secrets. But beneath its moody surface lies a show sadly struggling to find its voice, let alone cast a lasting spell...
The premise is rich: witches in modern-day Manchester navigating power, trauma, and desire. And visually, the series often impresses - shadowy alleyways, dreamy clubs, and flickering candlelit rituals offer the kind of cinematic flair that BBC Three has flirted with before. But style can only carry a show so far, and Domino Day too often stalls where it should surge. Dialogue leans on exposition, character development feels rushed or unclear, and the pacing never quite settles - neither propulsive enough to thrill nor deep enough to truly move.
Where a series like Wreck (also BBC Three) thrived was in its unapologetic boldness. The horror-comedy had something to say - about exploitation, identity, and survival - and it said it loudly, sometimes absurdly, but always with intent. Domino Day, by contrast, feels cautious. Its themes - grief, belonging, inherited power - are gestured at rather than fully explored.
That's not to say Domino Day is without merit. Siena Kelly gives a grounded, emotionally layered performance as the titular Domino, and the supporting cast brings depth where the writing sometimes doesn't. There are glimpses of something genuinely compelling: a world where magic is messy, feminine, and real. But the show needed a stronger hand at the wheel - more risk, more clarity, more fire.
Domino Day maybe needs a second series to grow itself a little. Take a chance to be louder, more specific, stranger...
