I'm a fan of previous Welsh TV series, having a Welsh mother helps, and the fact that this got a BAFTA looked attractive, but I cannot recommend it for sensible viewers. The focus is on one character, a whimpy, gutless, brother to our heroine the cop. He gets given a gun, used in a muder, to hide and through it he goes from small time thief to dangerous wannabe thug. Apparently this gun is so important to the story that the cops keep reminding themselves that they need to find it. Finding the killer seems secondary. We get a surprise ending for one character which makes the first episodes about her seem senseless. I won't say more. We have a cop handing over a gun to criminals instead of shooting them. I know it's the U.K. and cops don't shoot people. There's too many whacky scenarios like this, and if you suspend logic, disbelief, reason, you might enjoy it.
27 Reviews
NY Times loved this
HamIAm14 October 2018
As the Welsh government champions the revitalization of its mother tongue, the country's television industry is doing its part toward language immersion.
"Bang," premiering Monday, Oct. 15, on the streaming service Acorn TV, is the latest in a recent spate of Welsh-language thrillers, this one threaded with English and subtitles for Welsh, also called Cymraeg, for those who can't untangle its knotty cadences.
Set in the steel town of Port Talbot - the childhood home of the actors Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen - "Bang" rises from a less bucolic Wales than shows like "Keeping Faith" and "Hidden," its moody shoreline juxtaposed against a backdrop of blast furnaces and smokestacks. And the story of "Bang" is as grimy as its setting, with a shabby menagerie of tough guys, stolen-car dealers and loan sharks shredding the local fabric while Gina (Catrin Stewart), an ambitious young police officer, tries to the return the streets to safety.
But mostly it's the story of her brother, Sam (Jacob Ifan) - a hapless warehouse grunt who, as a 5-year-old, witnessed the shooting death of their father - and the seeming invincibility ignited within him once he finds himself in possession of a gun.
"Bang," premiering Monday, Oct. 15, on the streaming service Acorn TV, is the latest in a recent spate of Welsh-language thrillers, this one threaded with English and subtitles for Welsh, also called Cymraeg, for those who can't untangle its knotty cadences.
Set in the steel town of Port Talbot - the childhood home of the actors Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen - "Bang" rises from a less bucolic Wales than shows like "Keeping Faith" and "Hidden," its moody shoreline juxtaposed against a backdrop of blast furnaces and smokestacks. And the story of "Bang" is as grimy as its setting, with a shabby menagerie of tough guys, stolen-car dealers and loan sharks shredding the local fabric while Gina (Catrin Stewart), an ambitious young police officer, tries to the return the streets to safety.
But mostly it's the story of her brother, Sam (Jacob Ifan) - a hapless warehouse grunt who, as a 5-year-old, witnessed the shooting death of their father - and the seeming invincibility ignited within him once he finds himself in possession of a gun.
Complicated plot, loose ends, I did not understand the ending
petergoode24 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I second both the negative as well as positive reviews posted here...the show had some great plot lines, but some that really did not make much sense.
I am embarrassed to report that I did NOT understand the ending...who was the woman who ended up in the chauffeured Mercedes with the gun in her purse? Are we supposed to know if this was the same person who ended up with the money on Stevie's boat? I would love to hear from someone who can explain.
Everything great but storyline
ndasny23 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The setting, the actors, relationships between characters were all great. But the weird distracting side storyline - domestic violence with another violent staff, the amateur portrait of the killer dancing in face paint -- ruined it for me. I hope they do a third season but ditch the implausible side stories as the other elements can hold up on well their own.
Good enough
verna-a29 April 2022
Very often I start watching a TV series and don't persist beyond an episode or two, but "Bang" has held me through series 1. I'm not sure why, as typically I find very dark stories repulsive. I think the brilliance of the acting is undeniable, and Catrin Stewart and Jacob Ifan have very attractive faces. The smaller parts don't disappoint either. One reason I'm surprised at the series' appeal is that it is largely in Welsh, whereas "foreign language" films are usually a big turnoff for me. The story and the dialogue are good enough, despite some implausibilities. Why does Sam let Rhys beat him up without retaliation although he is the larger man? Need some time in the gym, Sam! The other frustrating thing is that there are several men with short dark hair and chiselled features representing different characters, and I couldn't retain who they were or which one was on the screen at a given time. So I'm sure I missed quite a lot. I'll dip into Series II but be ready to bail out, as series often seem to deteriorate. Anyway, worth a try if you're looking for some quite gripping viewing.
Compelling.
Sleepin_Dragon1 October 2019
The rugged backdrop of Port Talbot works incredibly well as the backdrop for this compelling Welsh drama. Mostly spoken in Welsh, with sections in English, it gives the drama a unique appeal. It's a fantastic story, multi layered and deep. If I'm honest I found the first episode a little slow, but after that it's literally all guns blazing.
There's a fact of Welsh (and Scottish) talent on show, and although Gina appears to be the focal point, the story focused more so on her troubled brother Sam. The cast are terrific, Jacob Ifan is a standout, you get the impression that he truly is a troubled character.
Some violence, some shocking scenes, it is incredibly gritty. We get to see the real Port Talbot, we also get some incredible shots of the areas around it, which are remarkable.
It's in the same mould as Hidden and Hinterland, so if you enjoyed those, you will love this. I hugely recommend it.
There's a fact of Welsh (and Scottish) talent on show, and although Gina appears to be the focal point, the story focused more so on her troubled brother Sam. The cast are terrific, Jacob Ifan is a standout, you get the impression that he truly is a troubled character.
Some violence, some shocking scenes, it is incredibly gritty. We get to see the real Port Talbot, we also get some incredible shots of the areas around it, which are remarkable.
It's in the same mould as Hidden and Hinterland, so if you enjoyed those, you will love this. I hugely recommend it.
Somewhat entertaining
russellharvy-3901727 April 2022
Welsh Noir just got even better
themarpleleaf21 May 2020
My fascination with Welsh Noir started with Hinterland, but has just gone to a new level with Bang.
Yes, I was drawn into the darkness of Hidden. Keeping Faith teetered just to the right side of preposterous, with overuse of pop video style lingering to music over the attractive female lead. Requiem was super creepy, folk horror. 35 Diwrnod is OK, but limited by its small budget and cast. Bang seemed to reconcile all of these shortcomings and make a powerful virtue of each one, with much use of a popular technique of location centred drama - long location shots, and very smart use of music.
Like I said when Hinterland broke through with its take on the Scandi noir set up - cop outsider with demons - the strongest cast member in a heck of a strong field was the landscape of Ceredigion, and the dark secrets of Aberystwyth. They also ended up smothering the plot and compensating for a drift into borderline cod. But like in Hidden, the stark survival of the Welsh working class was an ever present, if a little on the hopeless side.
Bang had all of this and more. The backdrop being Port Talbot, warts, beaches, steelworks, motorways and all. It didn't pull a single punch in the portrayal of the daily stuff of a police beat, following a spree of gun crimes in Series One and a savage killer on the loose in Series Two. But though life at times for a whole load of characters was unremittingly tough, it didn't seem as universally grim and hopeless as Hidden, or have the stolen idyll of Keeping Faith. Life is hard in this world of loan sharks, low wages, drugs, domestic violence,crime and decay. Yet for all that, there are characters who still bring warmth and joy, office banter and small tender moments of friendship and family life. Even poor old Sam Jenkins, bullied, friendless and prosecuted manages to have happiness and a sense of humour in his grasp. I say this having just wrapped up a stunning conclusion to the six part second run, which certainly didn't cue things up for happy ever afters.
There lingers too the possibility of justice not being served. It's possible that bullies, murderers and rapists might break an unwritten rule of TV drama and get away with it. Bang also has an earthier menace to it, man-made malignancy, rather than an ethereal lingering evil of the kind we saw so profoundly in Requiem, and hinted at from time to time in both Hidden and Hinterland, where there's always a hint of the weird and the eerie. Hopefully there are no spoilers here, and this is enough of a recommendation. Just watch it, absorb yourself in it and try not to have nightmares. The cast are (mostly) tight and the creator Roger Williams' script sparkles with bilingual delights. But in Catrin Stewart as Gina, and Jacob Ifan as Sam, you have two performances that would earn a BAFTA, or equivalent, in any language.
A final thought though, did nobody care what happened to creepy Russell?
Yes, I was drawn into the darkness of Hidden. Keeping Faith teetered just to the right side of preposterous, with overuse of pop video style lingering to music over the attractive female lead. Requiem was super creepy, folk horror. 35 Diwrnod is OK, but limited by its small budget and cast. Bang seemed to reconcile all of these shortcomings and make a powerful virtue of each one, with much use of a popular technique of location centred drama - long location shots, and very smart use of music.
Like I said when Hinterland broke through with its take on the Scandi noir set up - cop outsider with demons - the strongest cast member in a heck of a strong field was the landscape of Ceredigion, and the dark secrets of Aberystwyth. They also ended up smothering the plot and compensating for a drift into borderline cod. But like in Hidden, the stark survival of the Welsh working class was an ever present, if a little on the hopeless side.
Bang had all of this and more. The backdrop being Port Talbot, warts, beaches, steelworks, motorways and all. It didn't pull a single punch in the portrayal of the daily stuff of a police beat, following a spree of gun crimes in Series One and a savage killer on the loose in Series Two. But though life at times for a whole load of characters was unremittingly tough, it didn't seem as universally grim and hopeless as Hidden, or have the stolen idyll of Keeping Faith. Life is hard in this world of loan sharks, low wages, drugs, domestic violence,crime and decay. Yet for all that, there are characters who still bring warmth and joy, office banter and small tender moments of friendship and family life. Even poor old Sam Jenkins, bullied, friendless and prosecuted manages to have happiness and a sense of humour in his grasp. I say this having just wrapped up a stunning conclusion to the six part second run, which certainly didn't cue things up for happy ever afters.
There lingers too the possibility of justice not being served. It's possible that bullies, murderers and rapists might break an unwritten rule of TV drama and get away with it. Bang also has an earthier menace to it, man-made malignancy, rather than an ethereal lingering evil of the kind we saw so profoundly in Requiem, and hinted at from time to time in both Hidden and Hinterland, where there's always a hint of the weird and the eerie. Hopefully there are no spoilers here, and this is enough of a recommendation. Just watch it, absorb yourself in it and try not to have nightmares. The cast are (mostly) tight and the creator Roger Williams' script sparkles with bilingual delights. But in Catrin Stewart as Gina, and Jacob Ifan as Sam, you have two performances that would earn a BAFTA, or equivalent, in any language.
A final thought though, did nobody care what happened to creepy Russell?
I think this is the answer
lofts5522 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I love the British and Welsh Drsmss and love hearing the Welsh accents as it's a beautiful language. I enjoyed both Seasons but I found like many others that there were some areas which just weren't right. The biggest, worst part was the final scene of Season 2. Many people like myself are mystified by this scene and the one prior to it when the DCI Layla Davies texted somebody and the final scene showed a van with 3 people in animal and clown masks overtaking a Police van full of "Police evidence" while pointing a shotgun at the driver telling him they wanted a piece of evidence. I'm assuming this was "the gun" relating to the Murder of Gina's father and I'm assuming by the smug look on the face of DCI Layla Davies in the texting scene prior to this, that it meant that she was actually involved as a young officer in the cover up Murder of Gina's father.
A ridiculous script that defies credibility
qui_j4 November 2018
The most interesting thing about this series is that fact that it is performed in English and Welsh. Other than that, it is absolute rubbish that is at the level of a university drama project that is done for academic credit! The script is all over the place and not well thought out. It contains a mass of tangled stories, some of which are related to the plot, others are not. The writing and dialog is childish. The ending makes it look as if there might be a second series but hopefully we will be spared that suffering. There have been better series coming out of Wales in recent years. This one is just not one of those.
Original and thrilling... thoroughly enjoying it
jorowill8 June 2019
I've been watching this on the iPlayer and so pleased I stumbled across it. What a gem! Emotional drama with a real sense of place. The central brother and sister story is beautifully told with a sense of how crime influences a victim's life. I love the use of two languages - makes a thrilling drama particularly unique.
If This is Welsh Policing - Help! - Season 2
westsideschl20 April 2021
Location: South Wales. Horse running on beach followed by it standing on beach munching on sand?. Does't move when truck trailer drive up. Poor start for realism.
Two detectives working together have a romantic relationship on the side. Not good policing policy, but good for viewer demographics. Even the supervisor is in a questionable relationship with a parole officer. Overall detective behavior & sleuthing skill very inept. Action consists mostly of lots of running (in dress shoes & attire coupled with poor running form) after suspects.
Formula detective series seems copied by many countries in making their own local version, i.e. The usual cheap quick scene of dead person; the usual questioning of misdirected suspects; the usual low IQ forensics; the usual interdepartmental issues. Actors seem chosen for looks & not believability.
Two detectives working together have a romantic relationship on the side. Not good policing policy, but good for viewer demographics. Even the supervisor is in a questionable relationship with a parole officer. Overall detective behavior & sleuthing skill very inept. Action consists mostly of lots of running (in dress shoes & attire coupled with poor running form) after suspects.
Formula detective series seems copied by many countries in making their own local version, i.e. The usual cheap quick scene of dead person; the usual questioning of misdirected suspects; the usual low IQ forensics; the usual interdepartmental issues. Actors seem chosen for looks & not believability.
Excellent
heibeinh3 August 2022
We almost didn't start this show because of the 6.6 rating. But we have learned over time that some "foreign" shows don't get a good shake.
We enjoyed it a lot because it's quite atmospheric & quirky. Probably if you like American cop shows this isn't for you.
We are hoping for s season 3.
We enjoyed it a lot because it's quite atmospheric & quirky. Probably if you like American cop shows this isn't for you.
We are hoping for s season 3.
Fantastic drama, just catching up on iPlayer
jabber1211 July 2019
Reiterate everything previous reviewer Jorowill said. I missed this the first time around and only now catching up on iPlayer, but so glad I am. Acting, storyline, thriller aspects all top class. I don't speak Welsh, but subtitles are no problem for me. I absolutely loved heartbreaking/thriller/detective mixture and am sorry that Bang! seems to have received such a ho-hum reaction from some reviewers. I love it.
Do Not Waste Your Time
callladd9 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Season 1 starts out well enough but between Sam's emotional issues and the police department's obsession over one gun it became a bit of a joke.
I'm not sure why we decided to watch Season 2 but we did and it is wretched. The music was obtrusive, the cops are daft and the serial killer's calling card and bloody post-murder routine is disgusting (plus, the writers seem to view him as the victim). Add to that a social worker who has stayed in an emotionally and physically abusive marriage for over a decade and a key character blows up their career for no good reason.
Do not waste your time on this show.
I'm not sure why we decided to watch Season 2 but we did and it is wretched. The music was obtrusive, the cops are daft and the serial killer's calling card and bloody post-murder routine is disgusting (plus, the writers seem to view him as the victim). Add to that a social worker who has stayed in an emotionally and physically abusive marriage for over a decade and a key character blows up their career for no good reason.
Do not waste your time on this show.
Film Noir at its best
will-556276 October 2020
Excellent film noir. Suspenseful. Twists. Great characters. And many characters plots and subplots. Great location. Moody. Excellent cinematography. Immersive in the Welsh language and English language to great effect. Easy to follow. Completely unpredictable, right to the end. Good guys are bad guys, bad guys are good, and many of them are both good and bad. This is a great series. Really well done. WE NEED MORE FILM NOIRS like this.
What on earth?
jiballini645 May 2022
Was that rubbish I just sat through? Dopey cops, a pathetic brother to one of the dopey cops, cardboard cut-out "baddies". Did I mention the brother is a moron? Actually, so is the cop sister.
Having them speak Welsh was neither here nor there as a plot point. In fact as the plot was all over the shop, they could have spoken Swahili and it wouldn't have made it any more ridiculous.
Having them speak Welsh was neither here nor there as a plot point. In fact as the plot was all over the shop, they could have spoken Swahili and it wouldn't have made it any more ridiculous.
More Welsh TV, please!
susansundaisy6 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This isn't a 10 because they are completely lost in the dumbest plot line ever. But, it's wonderful tv, great acting and kinda fun.
Everyone is terrible at their job. The crooks are dumb and the cops are the least observant people on planet earth. Apparently, there is no DNA testing or CCTV footage on Wales.
Still, you can't help but watch it.
Everyone is terrible at their job. The crooks are dumb and the cops are the least observant people on planet earth. Apparently, there is no DNA testing or CCTV footage on Wales.
Still, you can't help but watch it.
Intense; a bit brutal
REVVINCENT23 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I binge-watched Series 1 and 2. The acting is superb. Sam, played exceptionally well by Jacob Ifan, is a pain in the backside. Sam is so insecure, needy and unstable it becomes annoying toward the end of Series 2. Sam craves affirmation, but each time he receives it he rejects it.
Gina, played by Catrin Stewart, is played very well as the perhaps the "too loving" sister to Sam. Gina and Luke (Jack Perry Jones) are well-paired.
I was disappointed to see that Gareth Jewell, DI Roberts, performed only in Season 1. DI Morgan, Dyfan Dwyfor became the DI in Season 2. Dwyfor's portrayal as the angry husband/detective is a stellar performance. He surely gave me "the creeps". Sadly there are in fact just like DI Morgan in real life.
I enjoyed Season 1 a bit more than Season 2. The extravagance of violence and brutality in Season 2 was / is a bit much. Matthew Aubrey as Rhys (S1) performs altogether perfectly as the proverbial "bad boy".
When watching any movie or TV series, I tend to immerse myself into it becoming one with the characters. I became "one" with the actors in "Bang". Each performer deserves considerable credit for performing well done!
Gina, played by Catrin Stewart, is played very well as the perhaps the "too loving" sister to Sam. Gina and Luke (Jack Perry Jones) are well-paired.
I was disappointed to see that Gareth Jewell, DI Roberts, performed only in Season 1. DI Morgan, Dyfan Dwyfor became the DI in Season 2. Dwyfor's portrayal as the angry husband/detective is a stellar performance. He surely gave me "the creeps". Sadly there are in fact just like DI Morgan in real life.
I enjoyed Season 1 a bit more than Season 2. The extravagance of violence and brutality in Season 2 was / is a bit much. Matthew Aubrey as Rhys (S1) performs altogether perfectly as the proverbial "bad boy".
When watching any movie or TV series, I tend to immerse myself into it becoming one with the characters. I became "one" with the actors in "Bang". Each performer deserves considerable credit for performing well done!
Don't watch Part II of these Series
figueroa_j28 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Part 1 was average but Part II is a non sense exploitation of blood 10/10; and social correctness to sky high levels. They manage to convert a pervert serial killer in the victim. All the people killed by him are the bad guys subject to judgement by this ridiculous policewoman. Then you will never see such a band of incompetent clueless police force. This is the worst movie I have ever seen 60 years. DO NOT WATCH IF YOU WANT TO SLEEP (OR EAT)
Rubbish
werepanther3 August 2021
Complete tosh Boyo.
ams999 May 2022
It's sausage machine Netflix hours. Every single character is rotten to the core like it's normal. Every social excuse trotted out. UK, Welsh or just moral obliquity? Dozey cops. Apathetic funded population. The coloured local area Commander. Happy Valley did it once and well. Snooze. But wait Sam pops back for season 2.
Do the Welsh...
solitaryman-9105118 April 2021
...people actually speak perfect English AND Welsh?
And more importantly, is this a new trend with Welsh film makers to have their characters mix the two languages? It is distracting and annoying. I would have given this maybe 9 star rating but I quit after ep 5.
I did watch Keeping Faith. In their Bonus Content they explained that they filmed it in Welsh & English concurrently. I'm guessing that Bang didn't have the budget to do that. In any case, I will never watch a Welsh show again that mixes the languages like that!
And more importantly, is this a new trend with Welsh film makers to have their characters mix the two languages? It is distracting and annoying. I would have given this maybe 9 star rating but I quit after ep 5.
I did watch Keeping Faith. In their Bonus Content they explained that they filmed it in Welsh & English concurrently. I'm guessing that Bang didn't have the budget to do that. In any case, I will never watch a Welsh show again that mixes the languages like that!
WORST EVER-DONT WASTE YOUR TIME
byronwells129 September 2020
Laughably Inaccurate
admin-5578018 August 2022
Whoever had anything to do with formulating , writing and/producing this needs to finish kindergarten first! If you are going to write a police drama. Do your research first. Obviously the makers of this soap did not. Laughably inaccurate and completely implausible. Nominated for awards? Really? You truly can't be serious!
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