Filthy Ritual
5.0/5
Critic Rating
In a damp Blackpool flat, James Parker is broke, restless, and stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouring millions into his account. Most people would keep it quiet. James doesn’t. He starts handing out money, buying cars for mates, throwing lavish parties in a town where fortunes are rare. To some he’s a hero, a modern-day Robin Hood. But as the spending spirals and the police start asking questions, cracks begin to show. Deals get darker, loyalties shift, and James is left chasing the very peop...
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • Jun 18, 2023
"Filthy Ritual is a doozy... kudos to the co-presenters Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, of the podcast RedHanded, for reshaking this money tree to bring listeners an eye-popping tale."
Score: 5
Fiona Sturges • Financial Times • Jun 4, 2023
"Filthy Ritual pulls off the feat of leaving the listener stunned at people’s gullibility while feeling sympathy for those who were conned. While they bring the same sardonic humour and rapport from that series, this feels more rigorous, as they conduct lengthy interviews with the major players. Were Filthy Ritual a work of fiction, you would likely think it too far-fetched. As it is, through Bala and Maguire’s clever storytelling, it is a wonderfully addictive series that delves into themes of class, wealth and coercion and, despite the larky tone, is also underpinned by tragedy. It is, by some distance, the best podcast I’ve heard this year."
Score: 5
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • Apr 21, 2023
"...six-part, binge-tastic series.This is a gripping show, excellently produced. Maguire and Bala worked with Novel, the brilliant storytelling audio production company, on Filthy Ritual, and it’s great to hear them move from scripted in-studio narrative out into the real world, to conduct interviews and wander around Hampstead ponds in search of shamanic enlightenment. Recommended."
Score: 5
Hannah Verdier • The Guardian • Apr 20, 2023
"It’s gossipy, intriguing and a cautionary tale of how D’Souza infiltrated polite society and conned it."
