First look at twisted new BBC psychological thriller from Killing Eve director

The BBC has given viewers the first glimpse at its upcoming psychological thriller series, which has been co-directed by the brains behind Killing Eve.

The channel, which has dished out some seriously good (and bingeable) series such as The Bodyguard, Line of Duty and Vigil is back at it with a brand new thriller offering, The Girl Before.

The series, which will be split into four episodes, is based on the novel of the same name by JP Delaney, and tells the tale of Jane, a young woman who comes across the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ when searching for a house to rent.

Jane is given the chance to move into a luxurious, ultra-minimalist house known as ‘One Folgate Street’, just so long as she abides by a long list of peculiar rules laid out by her landlord, an ‘enigmatic architect’.

BBC

However, after moving into the property, a series of sinister happenings begin to occur as Jane learns of the fate of the house’s previous tenant. 

The official synopsis reads: “Jane starts to feel the house changing her in unexpected ways, but when she makes the shocking discovery that her predecessor Emma died in the house, she’s forced to confront unnerving similarities.

“As the two women’s timelines interweave, Jane begins to question if her fate will be the same as the girl before…”.

The lead role of Jane has been taken on by actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who starred in Black Mirror’s San Junipero & Nosedive, while David Oyelowo, known for his roles in Selma and Les Misérables, will play Edward Monkford, the ‘enigmatic architect’ who takes Jane into his home.

BBC

Other cast members include Eastenders’ Jessica Plummer, who will play Emma, a ‘fun-loving and confident’ young woman working in marketing who is ‘less than satisfied’ with her partner.  X-Men: Apocalypse star Ben Hardy will also be joining the cast as Simon, Jane’s boyfriend.

Behind the scenes, JP Delaney will create, write and executive produce the series alongside Lisa Brühlmann, who is responsible for the masterpiece that is Killing Eve, and Marissa Lestrade, who will direct and co-write, respectively.

The Girl Before will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, though an exact release date is yet to be announced.