Colin Firth’s Lockerbie: A Search for Truth Slammed as ‘Tragedy Porn’ by Pan Am Victims

‘Lockerbie: A Search for Truth’ is a British TV drama based on the true story of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. Directed by Otto Bathurst and Jim Loach, it stars Colin Firth as Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was killed on Pan Am Flight 103.
The show follows Swire’s journey for justice after the bombing, which claimed 270 lives, including his daughter’s, and devastated the small town of Lockerbie in Scotland. The plane was destroyed by a bomb 38 minutes after taking off from London, and parts of the aircraft crashed into homes, killing 11 more people. The series premiered on January 2, 2025, in the UK and on Peacock in the U.S.
However soon after the release, the series was heavily criticized for exploiting the tragedy. On December 21, 1988, Mary Lou Ciulla was cooking dinner when breaking news reported a Pan Am flight had crashed in Scotland. She feared her husband, Frank, might be on board. Her daughter, Michelle, was called home from school, and after hours of waiting, they learned the heartbreaking news—Frank had been one of the 270 people killed.
Thirty-six years later, Michelle and Mary Lou watched the tragic event unfold in ‘Lockerbie: A Search for Truth,’ as a spokesperson for the victims, Michelle had worked closely with producers to ensure the show was accurate, but she was still shocked by the graphic recreation of the crash in the series as she admitted to Deadline.
Michelle Ciulla Lipkin expressed her shock and discomfort with the series’ portrayal of the bombing, calling it “tragedy porn” and saying, “This is disgusting.” She felt that the graphic scenes, including the bodies falling from the sky, were a disturbing representation of the worst moments of her life. She added that it was unnecessary to make the tragedy feel like an action movie.
I looked at my Mom and I was like, ‘It’s tragedy porn. This is disgusting,’ They’re literally representing the worst moments of our life … The amount of bodies they showed and the egregious nature of it becoming like an action movie with things coming out of the sky. You don’t need to do that.
Lipkin believes Sky and Peacock made a “very deliberate choice” to dramatize the crash, and while producers were open about their intentions, the scenes were re-traumatizing for her. She advised other victims to skip the first episode and recaps. When asked if their feedback was ignored, she said, “We had lots of good conversations, but it was too late to address anything.”
In response to the accusations, a Sky spokesperson stated, “We recognize that this is a deeply sensitive matter for many and approached the storytelling with the utmost care and respect.” They added that they worked closely with victims’ families and support groups throughout production and before the series’ release, ensuring all episodes were flagged for potentially distressing content.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!