Thomas Storai 
The Perfect Couple. Cr. Seacia Pavao/Netflix © 2024
“The Perfect Couple is a riveting slow burn mystery drama that will keep you guessing the whole time.”
Based on the novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand, The Perfect Couple is a mystery drama starring Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning and Liev Schreiber. This series is directed and executive produced by Susanne Bier with Jenna Lamia serving as showrunner. It is composed of six episodes and is now streaming on Netflix.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE
The Perfect Couple is a series with an ensemble cast following the story of the different members of the Winbury family and their friends. Despite the disapproval of her future mother-in-law Greer Garrison Winbury (Nicole Kidman), Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson) is set to marry Benji (Billy Howle), one of the three Winbury sons. However, everything changes when a body turns up on the family property just before the wedding. This sets the stage for an exciting investigation as secrets are revealed and no one is who they seem to be. “Secret” is the important word here. The Winbury family is an extremely rich one and as usual with rich people, there is a lot of things that they hide.
This series keeps us guessing the whole time as everyone is basically a suspect. Indeed, each character has something to hide. The story takes its time to unveil everything. In fact, it is a riveting slow burn. This is the best type of mystery drama because it actually makes you ask questions. Little by little, the audience like the detectives working on this case are trying to piece together what happened. The Perfect Couple makes the smart choice to use flashbacks from the point of view of the different characters. This means in each episode you get some parts of what happened.
Undoubtedly, it’s a series you will want to binge-watch or don’t take too long to watch. It’s quite addictive when you are invested in a mystery drama with so many suspects. In fact, the more suspects there are, the more exhilarating it is to figure out who did it. Even more so since these suspects send the investigation in several directions. This series surely doesn’t disappoint on that front.
A NOT SO PERFECT COUPLE?
Beyond a murder investigation, it’s also a story about this rich couple Greer and Tag (Liev Schreiber) who present themselves as the perfect couple with their loving family while they are none of that. The Winbury family is undeniably messed up. As the mystery unfolds so are the family secrets. And, it’s as exciting to try to figure out what happened as it is to see the truth about this family come to light. As often with rich people it’s all about appearances but when you dig a little deeper, you find unpleasant things. It’s a world of deeply flawed characters who try to pretend they are not as flawed as they are.
This series is actually character-driven. It’s an analysis and dissection of a dysfunctional family. It dives deep into the dynamic between the different characters. But, it also explores how they interact with people outside of their inner circle. Amelia is the most interesting character because she is in the middle of that. Indeed, she comes from an average-wage family but she is about to join Benji’s world. How she reacts and evolves into this world is quite compelling! She also stands out because she is the only one down to earth with her parents. The other characters are cliché of rich people. At times, you want to feel sorry for them, but most of the time, their actions don’t ask for your sympathy.
CAST
Furthermore, this series has a great ensemble cast with a few A-list actors and actresses but the real lead is Eve Hewson. She delivers a moving performance. Dakota Fanning also shines in this series, you never truly know whether you should hate or love her character. Nicole Kidman brings a certain coldness to the matriarch of the Winbury family, which is exactly what’s needed for her character. While Liev Schreiber is more relaxed, making you think his character will break at some point. On top of that, Michael Beach and Donna Lynne Champlin have a good dynamic as the two cops investigating the murders. It’s a pair that works!
VERDICT
The Perfect Couple is a riveting slow burn mystery drama that will keep you guessing the whole time. It’s as exciting to follow this murder investigation as it is to see the truth about this rich family come to light. For people who love a good mystery drama, this series is for you!
The Perfect Couple is now streaming on Netflix.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
