There’s something irresistible about watching the wealthy and powerful navigate their lavish, yet precarious lives. Between Big Little Lies, The White Lotus, and Succession, the complex blend of schadenfreude and social commentary offers an absurdism that makes things much more fun. As a genre only gaining steam, Netflix’s latest series, The Perfect Couple, taps into the vein that exposes the cracks of high society’s seemingly pristine worlds. The limited series based on the titular book by New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand starring Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber delivers on its promise of a juicy murder mystery across its six episodes, blending suspense and intrigue. But despite its smart pacing and relatively well-built characters, the series stumbles at the finish line, with rushed plot threads that undercut its initial tension.
Fresh off the heels of this summer’s biggest blockbuster with Deadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy executive produces the theatrical-styled series with director Susanne Bier (The Undoing) and showrunner Jenna Lamia (Good Girls) at the helm. As a dark comedy that leans into humorous reveals through irony and pretty dark subject matter, The Perfect Couple offers a sharp, twisted glimpse into Nantucket’s elite, where old money and social status reign supreme. But like every wedding that promises to be an unforgettable event, the stage is set for a real-life investigation after one of the guests turns up dead. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect — an aspect that creates a lot of layers and dynamics to what is mostly a richly compelling story despite its finale falling short.
What Is Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Couple’ About?
The Perfect Couple follows Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson), a middle-class woman on her way to marrying into the Winburys by way of the sweet and down-to-earth Benji (Billy Howle). But with a power struggle between Amelia and her soon-to-be mother-in-law Greer Garrison Winbury (Kidman) firmly established as a focal point almost immediately, the bride-to-be is reminded in every interaction that she is an outsider. After all, Amelia doesn’t place value on the same things as the Winburys or the family matriarch (and bestselling author), making her a threat to those who don’t fear consequences.
When The Perfect Couple starts, it’s genuinely giving White Lotus vibes. These are rich white folks savoring the good life and oblivious to their privilege. Much like other shows in the genre, the Netflix series finds its charm in the quirkiness of out-of-touch characters and sumptuous details woven through social perception. As it goes, this is a wealthy family absolutely bored by their excess. At one point, patriarch Tag Winbury (Schreiber) aims his golf balls at seagulls in the ocean while dressed in a robe, uncaring if he hits the birds. Across their sprawling, five-generation home on the beach, every family member’s carefree attitudes come to light through choreographed dancing and inane conversations that highlight privilege.
We’re also introduced to middle brother Benji’s siblings, Thomas (Jack Reynor) and Will (Sam Nivola). As young Will is nursing a broken heart, older brother Thomas is being his smug, narcissistic self alongside his very pregnant and controlling wife, Abby (Dakota Fanning). Openly flirting with women while smack-talking Benji and even his future sister-in-law, Thomas also makes a stink about not being his brother’s best man and losing out to the groom’s best friend, Shooter (Ishaan Khatter). This publicized tension characterizes the family’s sense of entitlement, hinting at strong dysfunctions beneath their polished exteriors. But to help temper the waters, Amelia’s best friend and social media influencer, Merritt (Meghann Fahy), joins the weekend festivities. Though she stirs up quite the attention, she is a girl’s girl and there for her BFF every step of the way.
With characters introduced almost immediately to help set the tone and pace, what begins as the wedding of the season quickly turns into a nightmare as a dead body is found on the beach the next morning. Setting off a chain of events that reveals the family’s deepest secrets and a turn no one could’ve seen coming, every moment leading up to its conclusion is intentional. As secrets bubble to the surface and an investigation puts everyone on the suspect list, the different dynamics and conversations create a pressure cooker of tension. This tapestry of interactions not only adds weight to the series and its dark subject matter but also unveils deeper layers to these personalities and their motivations, making The Perfect Couple all the more gripping.
‘The Perfect Couple’s Cast Is Firing on All Cylinders
As we get to know the Winburys through Amelia, we’re drawn into a luxurious world where every pristine surface is also concealing a crack. These people are not OK, and we learn that through not just their interactions with each other, but the grounded voice outside their privilege via Hewson’s Amelia. The actress, best known for The Knick and Bad Sisters, might not be a household name like her famous father, Bono, but after this, she may very well be. With a performance that is particularly striking and empathetic as the uncompromising girl next door, Hewson holds her own with Kidman and lifts the series into more interesting territory.
Meanwhile, Kidman continues to demonstrate versatility and emotional depth through her signature mix of silence, stillness, and understated gestures. Creating meaning through an authoritative presence, she is exactly what she needs to be for the audience to feel as mixed in their emotions as Amelia is. Greer is a mother bear with a lot of secrets, but her interactions with everyone outside the Winburys illustrate Kidman’s willingness to choose projects that contribute to her fearlessness as a performer. The Academy Award winner gets a lot of support from her co-star Schreiber, whose performance is equally subtle yet impactful. We don’t read Tag’s motivations as easily, but we can relish how he creates a character stewing in quiet chaos.
While The Perfect Couple focuses on a very WASP-like family, a rich, curated mix of established actors and newcomers brings a unique energy and depth to the series. This variety not only creates a dynamic range of performances but also brings out an entertaining layer to its storytelling. Fanning is an absolute joy to watch in this, stealing every scene she’s in and, while Abby is very pregnant and ensures everyone knows, there’s something particularly amusing about watching Fanning peel back the layers in a performance that is so outside her apparent comfort zone. The very large cast is rounded out by some strong and catchy performances, like Reynor, who adds comic relief as an entitled scoundrel. Bringing levity to the series through amusing interactions and bitter dialogue, he is certainly one to watch. Meanwhile, Fahy, best known for The White Lotus Season 2, brings a similar energy here, but manages to be even more hard-hitting. Her character might be an influencer, but she also walks a tightrope between being fun-loving and sad, allowing Fahy to offer a more nuanced performance.
Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Couple’ Rushes Its Ending
Across the show’s six episodes, a smart pace builds up, keeping the viewer interested and on edge. Quite like the book itself
being a real page-turner,
The Perfect Couple
will no doubt be a series that’s devoured in one weekend. Thanks to a sturdy and captivating element of duality in every character, the show will certainly hook you in. But while its first five episodes are strong and engaging,
the finale feels rather rushed
, with an injection of more comedy that, while entertaining, undercuts the overall tension and gravity of the story.
The show delivers on its mystery, but everything wraps up a little too quickly. It also leaves a few plot threads unresolved, which greatly weakens the show’s initial charm. While the family’s true colors unravel across the episodes, and the killer’s motives are queued up quite sharply, the pacing starts to rush to a conclusion. The core elements of the death are revealed and are rather sad and heartbreaking to watch unravel, but not all answers are given, especially pertaining to the supporting characters and the relationships we invested in across its previous episodes. Though this could intentionally align with Hilderbrand’s novel, it also opens up the door for Netflix to create its own version of Big Little Lies.
Despite its rushed ending and inconsistency in tone, The Perfect Couple excels in its character development thanks to standout performances and complex, winding tension. As a series meant to hook from the start, it does an excellent job across its six episodes of blending dark comedy with drama for an unpredictable watch. Perceptive and alluring, The Perfect Couple will certainly keep viewers obsessed, taking dark twists and turns until the very end, even if the finale doesn’t resolve every hanging narrative thread.
