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Lockerbie: A Search for Truth

Lockerbie: A Search for Truth

2025Miniseries1 season5 episodesTV-MAMidcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

Dr Jim Swire tragically loses his daughter when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over a small town on 21 December 1988. Travelling across continents and political divides, Swire embarks on a relentless journey that not only jeopardises his stability, family and life, but completely overturns his trust in the justice system. As the truth shifts under his feet, Swire's view of the world is left forever sullied.

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Where to watch

Where can I watch Lockerbie: A Search for Truth?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Lockerbie: A Search for Truth streaming on Peacock and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Lockerbie: A Search for Truth?

Lockerbie: A Search for Truth earns 6 badges, led by Standout acting and Deeply moving.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Lockerbie: A Search for Truth worth watching?

Lockerbie: A Search for Truth's Midcredits score is the 74th percentile of all shows, from 10K ratings across 2 sources. 84% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

74th percentile

Better received than 74% of shows

73rd percentile among Drama79th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)81st

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

73 /100

63rd percentile of all shows

63rd percentile among Drama68th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

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

Approval

How many liked it

84% liked it

81st percentile of all shows

80th percentile among Drama85th percentile among 2020s
84% rated it 7–1016% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

91st percentile

10K ratings across platforms

88th percentile among Drama93rd percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps acknowledge a powerful, well-acted dramatization of one father's grief-stricken quest for answers about the Lockerbie bombing, but they differ on whether its emotional manipulation and single-family focus serve the real story.

Fans praised

  • Colin Firth's raw, heartbreaking lead performance as Dr. Jim Swire
  • devastating and realistic recreation of the crash and its immediate aftermath
  • focused, emotionally gripping five-part structure that honors the real story

Detractors panned

  • clunky, hammy dialogue and manipulative tonal choices undermine a real tragedy
  • one-sided perspective omits the work of American families and Libya's admitted responsibility
  • feels padded, stretched to five hours that would have been tighter as a film or three-part series

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Firth's grief-stricken lead and McCormack's quiet devastation praised; a few detractors find Firth wooden or miscast

Emotional impactDivisive85

heart-wrenching crash sequence and grief are riveting, but detractors find it manipulative and overly sentimental

TensionDivisive75

investigative twists and revelations keep viewers hooked, but detractors see it as melodramatic rather than suspenseful

CharactersDivisive70

Jim Swire's relentless obsession compelling, but some see it as a narrow, one-man focus that ignores other victims

AtmosphereDivisive70

somber, tense tone conveys tragedy; detractors criticize murky, underlit scenes and a distracting green tint

CinematographyDivisive70

well-filmed, realistic crash scenes; detractors note excessive darkness and green color grading

Plot and storyDivisive65

gripping investigation with twists, though pacing drags and ending lacks resolution; detractors call it padded and unfocused

Ending45

leaves many questions open, no definitive answers; some find it unsatisfying or drab

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 14 points higher than women.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 17 points higher than US viewers.

Episodes

1 season

Miniseries · 2025 · 5 episodes · 8.0 average across 2 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Jan 2, 202562 minTMDB rating 8.1
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Jan 9, 202555 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S1E3

    Episode 3

    Jan 16, 202557 min
  • S1E4

    Episode 4

    Jan 23, 202548 min
  • S1E5

    Episode 5

    Jan 30, 202549 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Lockerbie: A Search for Truth like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — a slow-burn watch that leaves you angry.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series treats its tragic subject with grave respect and emotional intensity, maintaining a somber, investigative tone throughout.
The rideThe series maintains a sustained tension and sadness as the investigation unfolds, with the emotional weight deepening through the middle episodes as legal battles progress.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically across episodes, following Swire's investigation from the crash through the trial and its aftermath.
Episode formatThe series tells one continuous story across its five episodes, following Jim Swire's personal and legal journey from the bombing onward.
Season formatThe show is a concluded limited series of one season, covering the complete arc of Swire's search for truth and justice.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Infuriating · 4% of shows: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves the viewer angry at the apparent cover-up and pondering the elusive truth, with the tragedy still haunting.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).MysteryEnigma
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%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1% (this title)
  • No archetype 40%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

8% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeDr. Jim Swire's decades-long search for the truth behind the Lockerbie bombing, challenging official narratives and seeking accountability.

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 showsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · 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% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% (this title) · 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% (this title) · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsGrief · 4% of showsTruth · 6% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on a father's quest for justice in the wake of a devastating act of violence, exploring how grief fuels an unyielding search for truth and accountability.
StanceThe series interrogates the pursuit of justice within a flawed legal and political system, focusing on one man's drive without definitively celebrating or mourning the outcome.

The world

Early 21st centuryInstitutionalUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score
SettingA small Scottish town and international courtrooms in the aftermath of the Lockerbie bombing

Content guide

Is Lockerbie: A Search for Truth okay for kids?

TV-MA

Lockerbie: A Search for Truth is rated TV-MA. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (62/100), sexual content at minimal (2/100), language at mild (23/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (25/100) and frightening material at severe (80/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 25% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • RO12
  • Russia18+
  • Spain12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 54% of all showsHeavier than 25% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 45%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 1%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 82%

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

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

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 Lockerbie: A Search for Truth have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth?

Cast

At least 2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Colin Firth
as Jim Swire
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Catherine McCormack
as Jane Swire
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sam Troughton
as Murray Guthrie
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ardalan Esmaili
as Abdelbaset Al Megrahi
Rising: A short career with a standing when this show came out above the median working actor today.
Simon Delaney
as Bert Ammerman
Jemma Carlton
as Cathy Swire
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Harry Redding
as William Swire
Selwa Jghalef
as Aisha Megrahi
Darren Strange
as Reverend John Mosey
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Maxine Evans
as Lisa Mosey
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

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