It’s been a while since a new Netflix series has taken off and garnered the kind of subscriber interest that had everyone talking about “Fool Me Once” and “Baby Reindeer” earlier this year, but “The Perfect Couple” looks set to be the streamer’s next big hit.
This new mystery thriller miniseries has all the ingredients needed to make a splash on the streaming service, and even at this early stage, it looks like it has a good chance of taking the top spot on Netflix’s top 10 list. Not only does it have star power thanks to Nicole Kidman, but it’s also based on a bestselling novel and has been called perfect binge-watching by critics.
The Perfect Couple is available on Netflix today (Thursday, September 5), so it’s still too fresh to see the full picture. However, early reviews are promising and with so much going for it, it’s hard to imagine this six-part crime series not making a big impression.
“The Perfect Couple” is a mystery thriller that will keep you guessing
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Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s 2018 novel of the same name, The Perfect Pair doesn’t try to reinvent the crime genre, but clearly tips its hat to genre titans like Agatha Christie. It may not be the most original premise for a thriller series, but sometimes the simplest concepts are the best, and The Perfect Pair’s premise is truly intriguing.
Taking place on picturesque Nantucket during the summer wedding season, the glamorous wedding between Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson) and Benji Winbury (Billy Howle) promises to be an unforgettable event. Despite the disapproval of the groom’s mother, Greer Garrison Winbury (Nicole Kidman), and his father, Tag Winbury (Liev Schreiber), no expense was spared for the beachfront occasion.
However, the bubbling party atmosphere is disrupted just hours before the ceremony when a body is discovered and the entire wedding party is under suspicion. A detective (Donna Lynne Champlin) is soon dispatched to the crime scene, and conversations with the family soon reveal dark secrets, proving that no couple is truly perfect, even if they seem that way.
This new Netflix show from showrunner Jenna Lamia also stars Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Ishaan Khattar, Jack Reynor, Sam Nivola and Mia Isaac.
First reviews of “The Perfect Couple” have arrived
As mentioned, The Perfect Couple has only been available on Netflix for a few hours at the time of writing, so we’re still waiting to hear initial reactions from subscribers, but a few lucky critics have had the chance to watch the show before its public release, and the early reviews are pretty promising.
Lucy Mangan from the Guardian called it “ridiculously good” and stated that “it is almost impossible to resist watching this classic detective drama in its entirety,” while Dan Einav of The Financial Times called it “an entertaining late-summer treat”, but was somewhat more critical, also arguing that “the plot is sensationalist, the characters contrived and the satire clumsy”.
Nicole Kidman’s leading role as the ruthless matriarch of the obscenely wealthy Winbury family has already received a lot of praise. Weekly entertainmentKristen Baldwin said, “It’s fun to see (Kidman) embrace Greer’s underlying malice” and Tania Hussain of Collider notes that “Kidman continues to demonstrate versatility and emotional depth through her signature blend of silence, calm and subtle gestures.”
Nick Hilton from Independent was less impressed. In a two-star review, they called the show “hackneyed Netflix trash” and criticized it for a “lack of originality” and for unsuccessfully aping HBO’s “Big Little Lies” (which Kidman also starred in).
Should you stream The Perfect Pair on Netflix?
I make no secret of my general disappointment with Netflix’s original content in 2024. While there were a few highs (“Hit Man,” “Baby Reindeer”), the lows were particularly deep, and it’s been far too long since subscribers were treated to a truly exciting series.
Luckily, The Perfect Couple might be exactly what I’ve been looking for. While it doesn’t seem like anything particularly original for the mystery thriller genre, at just six episodes, it’s perfect for a weekend binge-watch and I suspect it will shoot up the Netflix charts once subscribers start streaming this new show.
If you want even more Netflix recommendations, here’s our full rundown of everything new coming to the world’s most popular streaming service in September 2024.
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