# How to Get to Heaven from Belfast Review: Grief Goes Noir > How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is Lisa McGee's eight-episode Netflix comedy-thriller, in which three old friends reunite for a funeral that spirals into murder. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review/ Published: 2026-04-11 Last updated: 2026-09-25 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4.5/5 ## Verdict Yes. It is a sharp, funny and surprisingly tense binge that keeps the Derry Girls wit while raising the stakes, ideal for fans of dark comedy and cosy-chaotic mysteries. ## Is How to Get to Heaven from Belfast worth watching? **Yes. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a brilliantly funny, genuinely suspenseful comedy-thriller that proves Lisa McGee's voice works just as well with a body count as it did in Derry Girls.** The joke density is remarkable, the three leads are a joy together, and the mystery is plotted tightly enough to keep an eight-episode binge moving. The only real reservation is that the thriller mechanics occasionally strain as twists pile up, and the tonal swings from farce to real menace will not suit everyone. ## What is How to Get to Heaven from Belfast about? Three lifelong friends from Belfast, played by Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne, have drifted into busy, complicated adult lives. The death of someone from their shared past brings them back together for a funeral, and what should be a sad, awkward reunion quickly spirals into suspicion, secrets, blackmail and murder. As they try to work out what really happened, they are forced to confront their own history, and one another. [How to Get to Heaven from Belfast](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast/) was created and written by Lisa McGee for [Netflix](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/platform/netflix/), and it is a Northern Irish comedy-thriller in English, with Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne leading the cast. This review covers the complete series: one season of eight episodes, conceived as a self-contained story. ## McGee trades nostalgia for noir Derry Girls found comedy in teenage chaos against the backdrop of the Troubles. Here, McGee turns her attention to middle age, and the change of perspective is rich. Her heroines are dealing with jobs, children, ageing parents and the slow disappointments of adulthood, and the mystery works partly as a way of shaking them out of routine. The humour is as fast and specific as ever, full of Northern Irish rhythms, withering put-downs and absurd escalations, but it now sits alongside real danger. What makes the blend work is that McGee takes both halves seriously. The jokes never undercut the stakes, and the thriller elements, sinister strangers, mounting secrets, a sense that nobody is quite who they seem, are staged with genuine tension. It is a [comedy](https://celluloidscore.com/genres/comedy/) that can make you gasp as well as laugh. ## Three friends who feel like a real gang The central trio are superb. Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne play women with decades of shared jokes, grudges and loyalty, and their rapid-fire bickering has the lived-in quality of a real friendship. Each gets her own anxieties and secrets, and the show is shrewd about how friends can know each other intimately and still miss the most important things. The supporting cast of relatives, neighbours and suspicious strangers is rich in character. The show also makes Belfast and its surroundings feel vivid and specific, a place where the past is never far away and everyone knows someone who knows you. ## Where the plot gets knotted The mystery occasionally overreaches. As the series barrels towards its conclusion, the twists multiply, and some depend on coincidence or leaps of logic that a less funny show would struggle to get away with. The tonal shifts, from slapstick to grief to violence, are mostly well handled, but a few scenes lurch awkwardly between registers. These are small complaints next to how consistently entertaining it is. ## Who should watch How to Get to Heaven from Belfast? It is a must for Derry Girls fans ready for something darker, and a strong pick for anyone who enjoys comedy-thrillers and friendship stories about women in midlife. Eight episodes make it an ideal weekend binge. It carries mature ratings for strong language, violence and some disturbing themes. Three follow-ups: - [Derry Girls](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/derry-girls-review/), McGee's beloved earlier series, for the same wit in a lighter, nostalgic key. - [Slow Horses](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/slow-horses-review/) for another British series that blends sharp comedy with real thriller tension. - [Fleabag](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/fleabag-review/) for dark comedy about grief, friendship and female messiness. ## The verdict How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a triumph of tone, a comedy-thriller that is as funny as anything on television while delivering a mystery with real bite. A few knotty twists aside, it is a confident, joyful and gripping follow-up to Derry Girls, and one of the best British series of 2026. **Rating: 4.5/5** ## Related title - [How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026)](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)