The Perfect Couple: glossy Netflix murder-mystery starring Nicole Kidman
However hard you try to resist it, 'you will want to know the who, what, where and why-dunit'
"Pitched somewhere between 'The White Lotus', 'Glass Onion' and the latest Harlan Coben series", Netflix's six-part drama "The Perfect Couple" is "a glossy spin on the rich-people-are-awful sub-genre of murder-mystery," said Sophie Butcher in Empire.
Nicole Kidman stars as Greer, a fabulously rich novelist whose son's wedding on Nantucket is ruined when a body turns up on the beach. Suddenly, everyone staying at the family's huge beach house for the weekend is a suspect. The dialogue is often a bit cheesy, and the whole thing is "schmaltzy, silly and very soapy"; but it's elevated by an impressive supporting cast that includes Meghann Fahy and Dakota Fanning; and the compelling plotting and well-established characters "will have you hooked".
The series ticks off "every cliché of the megabucks mystery thriller", said Benji Wilson in The Daily Telegraph, from its title to the fact that none of the couples are perfect; in fact, they all hate each other. Still, though it is all predictable and trashy, this is "top-notch trash", a show that aims only for "sugar-hit moreishness" and hits the mark time and again.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Nantucket looks ludicrously beautiful; the family are ludicrously snobbish and unpleasant", and however hard you try to resist it, "you will want to know the who, what, where and why-dunit".
I found it "awful: ugly, slow, boring", said Camilla Long in The Sunday Times. The cast are horribly dunked in fake tan, and it's deeply unfunny. You'd do much better watching the new season of "Slow Horses", which is "utterly brilliant".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Sex, drugs, violence'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Princess of Wales returns to work in first meeting of 2024
Speed Reed Early Years project has been the 'cornerstone' of Catherine's charitable work
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Female authors light up the Booker Prize shortlist
The Week Recommends This year’s writers have tackled wide-ranging subjects from espionage to space travel
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Female authors light up the Booker Prize shortlist
The Week Recommends This year’s writers have tackled wide-ranging subjects from espionage to space travel
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
H.W. Brands' 6 favorite books that reflect on American history
H.W. Brands is the author of "America First"
By The Week US Published
-
6 timeless homes in the French Norman Style
A home in New York
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ruska: experience Finland's magnificent autumn foliage
The Week Recommends The 'fleeting' season lasts just three weeks
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
10 upcoming albums to stream in sweater weather
The Week Recommends As summer turns to fall, check out these new albums from Fleetwood Mac, Katy Perry, Kim Deal and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
A foodie guide to Seattle
The Week Recommends From bustling markets to burger joints, these are the best spots in the city
By Neil Davey Published
-
7 cocktails for a comforting autumn
The Week Recommends Vodka, rum, brandy, mezcal: The gang's all here
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Discover Ravenna's glittering treasures
The Week Recommends The 'magical' town is home to magnificent churches and excellent restaurants
By The Week UK Published