'The Confessions of Frannie Langton' Trailer Teases a Dark Tale of Forbidden Love
BritBox has released the trailer for its upcoming period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton, a sumptuous four-part Gothic-style historical tale about love, exploitation, and murder. A rare period piece that actually seems ready to wrestle with the reality of life for Black citizens in a post-slave trade Britain, the story features diverse characters, complex themes, and, yes, sapphic romance.
Based on the novel of the same name by Sara Collins, The Confessions of Frannie Langton follows the story of the eponymous Frannie (Karla-Simone Spence), a young former slave who is accused of murdering her employer, the renowned scientist Mr. George Benham (Stephen Campbell Moore) and his beautiful wife, Marguerite (Sophie Cookson). Frannie, for her part, has no memory of the murder thanks to the hazy film left behind by her laudanum addiction, but she is adamant that she couldn't possibly have killed her mistress. (The two were actually having a romantic affair.)
As Frannie attempts to piece together the events of that horrifying night, she cannot believe she could have possibly hurt Marguerite, because she truly loved her passionately. But if Frannie didn't kill the Benhams, then who did? And what real hope does she have of clearing her name -- after all, what part of the machinery of British justice is going to believe the word of someone they still see as nothing more than a slave girl?
