Joe Cole and Nicola Coughlan are a couple being torn apart by the manosphere in the sinister first trailer for Channel 4 series, I Am Helen.

In the upcoming two-part drama, part of the I Am... anthology, Helen (Coughlan) and boyfriend Steve (Cole) are seen on the verge of a break-up after five years together, as toxic behaviour begins to make itself known.

Created by filmmaker Dominic Savage alongside Coughlan, I Am Helen’s trailer sees Steve shutting Helen down in her attempts to talk to him about the state of their relationship.

He’s later seen influenced by a friend who tells him “it’s tough for blokes” and how they’re “made to be the bad guy”.

As Helen talks to a friend about the struggles she’s facing and the emotional toll it’s taking on her, the trailer cuts to snips of arguments where Steve’s behaviour gets more violent and controlling.

This includes leaving her aggressive voice notes and punching a fridge as he yells at her.

According to the synopsis, I Am Helen “explores the experience of womanhood within a world shaped by masculine power, aggression and control” and is told through a female lens.

“The story examines the pressures and expectations placed on women while confronting the realities of toxic masculinity and the damage it can create in modern relationships,” it adds.

I Am Helen is the fourth series and eighth story in the female-led anthology series created by Savage.

Each tale is co-written by its leading woman to tell a modern-day story of female experiences.

Other participants in the series have been Gemma Chan, Samantha Morton, Vicky McClure, Suranne Jones, Letitia Wright and Lesley Manville.

I Am Helen is coming soon to Channel 4.

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