Films So Good

We are in the midst of “Slow Horses” month, so today we’re turning back the clock to remember a pre-Peaky Blinders TV appearance by Aimee-Ffion Edwards in the final episode of the first season of Inside No. 9, titled “The Harrowing.” Coincidentally, this episode also features Helen McCrory, her future Peaky Blinders co-star.

This episode tells the eerie story of two siblings, Hector and Tabitha (played by Shearsmith and McCrory), who enlist the help of a schoolgirl, Katy, to look after their decrepit mansion and care for their bedridden brother, Andras. Aimee-Ffion Edwards plays the pivotal role of Katy, whose night of babysitting takes a dark and terrifying turn.

At the time of this episode’s airing in 2014, Aimee-Ffion Edwards had already begun making a name for herself on British television. One of her most notable early roles was in Skins (2008), where she portrayed Sketch, a quirky and obsessive girl infatuated with one of the main characters. Her performance as Sketch showcased her ability to play intense and offbeat characters, a skill she carried over to her role in Inside No. 9.

In Inside No. 9, Edwards’ portrayal of Katy exemplified her talent for balancing innocence with terror. Katy starts off as a somewhat naive and easygoing character, but quickly becomes the emotional center of the episode as the horror unfolds. Her transformation from a casual babysitter to a terrified victim demonstrates her range, anchoring the episode’s chilling atmosphere with a strong emotional core.

Edwards’ role in “The Harrowing” came at a time when her career was on the rise. In the same year, she appeared as Sophie in Detectorists, and just a year later, she would join the cast of Peaky Blinders (2015) as Esme Shelby. Esme’s fierce and confident demeanor added yet another layer to Edwards’ growing list of versatile roles.

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