Last weekend, Netflix did what it does best — debuts a brand-new prestige crime-thriller show starring two of our best television actors.
The Beast in Me, starring Claire Danes (Homeland) and Matthew Rhys (The Americans), is already a big hit on the popular streamer, debuting at No. 1 and hovering in the top 3 TV spots since then.
The show follows Danes’ Aggie Wiggs, a reclusive, grieving author who becomes wrapped up in investigating her new neighbor (Rhys), the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance.
Critics are already hailing it as a compelling mystery. Read why Watch With Us agrees.
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‘The Beast in Me’ Is a Stylish and Tense Psychological Thriller
Aggie Wiggs has been suffering an intense bout of writer’s block in the wake of her son’s tragic death, but she finds new narrative intrigue in the arrival of her next-door neighbor, real estate mogul Nile Jarvis (Rhys). Nile was the leading suspect following the disappearance of his wife six years ago, now living with his new wife, Nina (Brittany Snow). Aggie becomes fixated on Jarvis, who compels her to write about him, resulting in a cat-and-mouse relationship.
This premise alone is tantalizing enough, but The Beast in Me makes a meal of it. Led firmly by the central dynamic between Jarvis and Wiggs, The Beast in Me clips along as a taut and fast-moving thriller, stylishly and confidently directed to keep viewers constantly engaged. With fantastic pacing and a razor-sharp script that oozes unnerving levels of suspense (helped along by the show’s score), the show is a must-watch for fans of pulpy thrillers.
The Netflix Series Boasts Two Great Lead Performances
The star of The Beast in Me is the relationship between Aggie and Nile, and the performances from Danes and Rhys don’t just sport great chemistry but also elevate the murder-mystery material into something much more psychologically complex. Wiggs is a grieving mother searching for inspiration, while Jarvis is prickly, elusive and a real piece of work. While they seem like mismatched people, they actually complement one another beautifully.
The scenes between Aggie and Nile are meant to highlight their dueling struggles of discovering what it means to find someone who sees you completely, but also how much of that can be accepted by the other person. Danes and Rhys play off one another beautifully, as Aggie finds herself fascinated and drawn in by Jarvis’s bullying, brutish behavior. Danes excels in evoking sadness, and Rhys is adept at playing a slime-ball you can’t help but watch.
The Narrative Is Addictive and Will Instantly Hook You
Aside from the fact that The Beast in Me is an excellent slice of prestige thriller, it’s also just massively addicting and primed to be binged. The expertly-paced script and compelling narrative keep things moving, full of suspense deployed at the perfect moments to keep viewers pressing that “Next Episode” button. With ample twists and intriguing mysteries, the creators of The Beast Me (who also worked on The X-Files) know how to keep audiences on their toes.
Another thing that allows The Beast in Me to remain so eminently watchable is that the plot never gets either convoluted or boring — that’s right, you may be compelled to keep your eyes off your phone the entire time. At only eight episodes, the show is a brisk watch, and the equally immersive subplots filled out by the supporting cast — including Snow, Jonathan Banks, Natalie Morales and Hetienne Park — make the series narratively well-rounded. It’s a masterful execution all around, and you’d be sorry to miss out on it.
Stream The Beast in Me now on Netflix.
