"A Thousand Blows" delivers a knockout punch on Hulu

The Real Perspectives

February 22, 2025

Hulu

"A Thousand Blows" is the new period drama inspired by real events. The series premiered on Hulu on February 21 ( and Disney+ in the UK and Ireland) with six episodes. The new series follows two best friends, Hezekiah and Alec, from Jamaica who fight for survival, clashing with Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate, and Sugar Goodson, a dangerous, veteran boxer in the world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s London.

The underbelly of illegal fighting and organized crime in Victorian London is at the center of this epic tale centered around the historical Forty Elephants, led by Mary Carr, specializing in shoplifting and thievery. Malachi Kirby gives a fantastic performance as Hezekiah Moscow, newly immigrated from Jamaica with ambitions of becoming a lion tamer. Created, written, and executive-produced by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders), Knight, at the series premiere at the London Film Festival back in October, said that he wanted "for a long time to do the story of the Forty Elephants, which is a true story of a gang of female-only criminals who were led by someone called Mary Carr." Admittedly, Forty Elephants isn't well known in history books, and it may be the first you have heard of this crafty team of women, which this fantastic series brings to light with vibrancy, grit, violence, and a lot of action.

The series stars:

• Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow

• Stephen Graham as Henry "Sugar" Goodson

• Erin Doherty as Mary Carr

• Francis Lovehall as Alec Munroe

• Ziggy Heath as Peggy Bettinson

• Jason Tobin as Lao

• James Nelson-Joyce

• Nadia Albina as Verity Ross

• Jemma Carlton as Belle Downer

• Caoilfhionn Dunne as Anne Glover

• Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long

• Ruaridh Mollica as Nicholas Graften

• Darci Shaw as Alice Diamond

• Tom Davis

• Ella Lily Hyland

Hulu

 "As Hezekiah finds fortune and fame through the art of pugilism, he attracts the attention of the infamous Queen of the Forty Elephants, Mary Carr, who sets about exploiting his talents to further her criminal enterprise," reveals the official synopsis. "Meanwhile, the menacing and self-declared emperor of the East End boxing world, Sugar Goodson, determines to destroy Hezekiah, whose ambitions to fight in the West End threaten everything he has built. What ensues is a battle of the old world against the new."

Season 2 has already been announced, and Steven Knight promises viewers will see more of the Forty Elephants as we dig further into the series.

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Don't miss "A Thousand Blows" currently streaming on Hulu.

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Additional credits include executive producers Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters for Matriarch Productions, Damian Keogh and Kate Lewis for The Story Collective, Tom Miller and Sam Myer for Water & Power Productions, and Lee Mason for Disney+.