Domino Day
Domino Day follows the titular Domino (Siena Kelly), a young witch living in Manchester and cursed to feed on the life energy of humans. She gets by on a diet of awful men picked up on dating apps, but things change when she falls for charming bartender Leon (Percelle Ascott), creating an identity crisis made worse by the witches of Manchester cottoning on to her unusual situation and the re-emergence of her toxic ex Silas (Sam Howard-Sneyd).
Domino Day’s writing shows clear enthusiasm for its setting, with hints of an interesting magic system and an entire secret society of witches that the writers are evidently excited about. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm doesn’t necessarily translate to a compelling story, and while the programme is willing to show off its worldbuilding, it doesn’t focus as much on giving its audience reasons to be emotionally invested in the world.
Domino’s powers are the driving force for much of the show’s plot, but that on its own doesn’t have the legs to facilitate much interesting drama. However, instead of using this initial dilemma as a jumping-off point to explore other parts of the magical world, or develop arcs for the diverse ensemble cast, Domino Day takes its main plot point and stretches it out across multiple episodes, which impacts the pacing and makes things feel slower than they should.
It’s a shame because there’s promise in the premise and it does a lot right. Domino Day explores complex feminist themes, such as objectification, the struggles of maintaining agency under the patriarchy and sexual assault, and is willing to grapple with these ideas in frank and uncompromising ways.
The show also benefits from stylish visuals, a great soundtrack and a talented cast that put in a lot of work to sell the narrative beats. Kelly in particular does a fantastic job as the leading lady, with her emotive performance adding extra intensity and weight to the on-screen drama, particularly in Domino’s messy will-they-won’t-they with Silas.
Domino Day has a lot of good ideas and a clear passion for the story it wants to tell. However, the piece’s writing and structure tragically undermine this passion, with the creative team focusing on the worldbuilding trimmings at the expense of the core narrative meat and potatoes, resulting in a story that feels oddly hollow.
Umar Ali
Domino Day is released on BBC iPlayer on 31st January 2024.
Watch the trailer for Domino Day here:
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