Four years after The Undoing became a weekly television event, Nicole Kidman and director Susanne Bier (whose projects also include The Night Manager and Bird Box) have once again joined forces, this time for Netflix's vibrant new murder mystery.
If you found yourself swept up in the theorising and discourse that surrounded the prestige HBO hit, we're pleased to report that The Perfect Couple has a lot of the same hallmarks. In short, it's a glossy, often over-the-top, drama with a dead body at its centre.
Oh and there's an immaculately dressed Nicole Kidman, without a single strand of hair out of place.
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Said body washes up on the beach by a wealthy family's home in Nantucket, on the eve of the wedding of the season. Amelia Sacks is about to marry into the fold, and matriarch Greer Garrison Winbury has spared no expense in the planning of the event – which swiftly evolves into an investigation where everyone is a suspect.
As a piece of television, The Perfect Couple has been beautifully crafted; not only is it a sun-soaked feast for the eyes, the series cleverly weaves in visual clues that drive the narrative forward.
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While the series is a screen adaptation of the bestselling novel by Elin Hilderbrand, it's impossible not to draw comparisons with The White Lotus – and that is every inch the compliment.
The Netflix series often juxtaposes its darker subject matter with opulent scenes of picturesque coastline, and with the odd offbeat line – or group dance number (yes, really) – periodically thrown in for good measure.
The Perfect Couple pulls together an impressive ensemble cast, another parallel that is reminiscent of Mike White's recent HBO anthology hit. Kidman is joined by Dakota Fanning, Liev Schreiber and former White Lotus guest herself Meghann Fahy – and its characters are also, for the most part, as disgustingly rich as they are unlikeable.
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Eve Hewson – who you may recognise from Netflix's 2021 thriller Behind Her Eyes, or Apple TV's breakout hit Bad Sisters – stands out as the outsider.
Her character Amelia is the vessel through which you observe the heftily privileged family that she's about to marry into. She is the bridge into the world of the rich and notorious, and Hewson's performance serves as the perfect anchor to somewhat ground the show.
In stark contrast, Nicole Kidman's famous novelist (and nightmare mother-in-law) Greer Garrison Winbury is as dialled up as it gets, and all the more magnetic for it. You might not necessarily be on her side, but you sure don't want to look away either.
As you should have come to expect from a Susanne Bier production, The Perfect Couple plays around with layers and affords a particular focus to its female characters.
Sure the series is a twisty-turny murder mystery – and one that succeeds in keeping you on the edge of your seat – but the addition of other themes, such as the love and safety that can be found between women, really take the drama to dizzier heights.
Much like The Undoing before it – underlined by its unexpected (some might say controversial, we say brilliant) ending – Susanne Bier's approach to storytelling once again puts a welcome spin on the classic whodunnit, giving audiences something that feels distinctive.
That being said, it's not without some minor flaws. As secrets creep to the surface and threads start to unravel, the narrative can sometimes become a little muddled by flashbacks. But the overarching investigation plot acts as a main timeline, managing to pull things back into focus and driving the story forward.
There's a lot of fun to be had with The Perfect Couple. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and with a limited six-episode run (ranging between 40 minutes and 50 minutes each) it's not too laborious of a screen commitment either.
Welcome to your next binge-watch.
The Perfect Couple is available to watch on Netflix.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
