Nicole Kidman’s Opulent Murder Mystery Is a TV Masterclass

In the world of TV mysteries, you often have several familiar settings to choose from: a gloomy Scottish town with a distrust of the police, a quaint English village with just two overworked detectives calling each other “boss”, or a detective haunted by personal loss. Among these, one of the most captivating subgenres involves stories brimming with opulence, often starring Nicole Kidman at the center. While there are other variations – such as Poirot on a train or eerie high school dramas – these remain the core choices.

Enter The Perfect Couple, a new mystery series set amidst luxurious surroundings with none other than Nicole Kidman in a prominent role. The show, which premieres on Netflix on September 5, is based on Elin Hilderbrand’s 2018 novel. Known as the “queen of beach reads,” Hilderbrand’s work might initially elicit some skepticism. However, The Perfect Couple boasts an extraordinary cast, including Meghann Fahy, Eve Hewson, Donna Lynne Champlin, Liev Schreiber, and Billy Howle.

The show has been beautifully shot, skillfully showcasing the complexities and allure of affluent life in Nantucket. It gets the tone and suspense just right, ensuring that Kidman’s presence is both compelling and impactful. This is a masterclass in how to make engaging television.

Kidman’s portrayal is particularly brilliant, as she sips wine, uncovers affairs, and casts knowing glances every time her husband Tag, played by Schreiber, lights a joint.

The premise revolves around the Fourth of July weekend, where zookeeper Amelia Sacks (Hewson) and her fiancé Benji Winbury (Howle) are preparing for their wedding rehearsal dinner. The event is filled with various moving parts, including Kidman’s stern novelist matriarch Greer Garrison Winbury fretting over the details, while her husband Tag remains blissfully detached, preferring to smoke pot and polish his canoe.

Meanwhile, the scene is populated with other intriguing characters: the influencer maid-of-honor Merritt Monaco, the eccentric socialite Isabel Nallet, and a wedding planner who seems to be perpetually annoyed. Dakota Fanning appears as a character who strolls around contentedly rubbing her baby bump. Amidst the fine sand and exquisite oysters, the slightest breach of social etiquette is met with a frosty glance from Kidman. Suddenly, a body washes ashore, but the characters are too self-absorbed to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Done poorly, this show could have been dreadful. Many body-washes-ashore mysteries often devolve into formulaic police procedurals, with characters playing predictable roles. The Perfect Couple avoids these clichés by delving deeply into each character, revealing their complexities through flashbacks and their actions post-incident. Instead of relying on artificial tension or surprise curtain reveals, the show focuses on genuine intrigue. Each character, despite their outlandish names, is rendered human and relatable.

Kidman’s brilliance shines through as she portrays a poised yet high-strung matriarch. Her character, Greer, could have easily turned into a shallow caricature, but Kidman’s nuanced performance makes her intriguing. The show’s sharp script, penned by Jenna Lamia, brims with clever lines, like when Greer describes someone as “Child-sex-ring-and-private-island rich”? She nails these moments, especially when feigning devastation in a call to her publisher: “I know it’s such a big shock and we’re all sort of devastated here.”

While the show’s ending might have the potential to irritate, the journey thus far has been one of the more compelling takes on the classic body-washes-up-on-shore mystery.