Netflix’s latest offering, “His & Hers,” isn’t aiming for high art; it’s aiming for your weekend. And frankly, in a landscape saturated with prestige TV, there’s a certain savvy in leaning *into* the glossy, twist-filled thriller format. It’s a calculated move, capitalizing on the popularity of authors like Alice Feeney (with two more adaptations already in the pipeline) and tapping into a very specific audience craving escapism – and a puzzle to passively solve.
- The series, produced by Jessica Chastain, features a recognizable cast including Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson.
- The plot revolves around a murder investigation and the tangled relationships of those involved, specifically a fractured marriage.
- The review notes a reliance on thriller tropes, including potentially problematic use of dementia as a plot device.
Tessa Thompson’s involvement is particularly interesting. She’s a star carefully navigating the blockbuster/indie space, and taking on a role as a steely, ambitious journalist – even one with a somewhat dubious moral compass – feels like a deliberate choice. It’s a departure from some of her more overtly “likable” roles, and the narrative framing of her character’s ambition being fueled by professional and personal loss is a classic PR maneuver. We’re meant to sympathize, even as she’s… well, engaging in questionable behavior with her cameraman. The show doesn’t dwell on the “unfathomable grief” – a smart move, as prolonged emotional depth might disrupt the pacing of the mystery. It’s all about propulsion, keeping the plot moving.
Bernthal, meanwhile, continues his streak of playing brooding, complicated men. His casting feels almost… inevitable. He’s become a reliable draw for this kind of genre fare. The fact that his character is the estranged husband of Thompson’s adds another layer of intrigue, and the script doesn’t shy away from the messiness of their dynamic. The reviewer points out his reluctance to provide a cheek swab, a small detail that speaks volumes about the character’s potential involvement and adds to the overall sense of suspicion.
The show’s willingness to lean into tropes – the cuckolded husband, the mean girl backstory, the potentially manipulative use of dementia – isn’t a weakness, it’s a feature. It’s signaling to the audience: “We know what you want, and we’re going to deliver it.” Whether it ultimately delivers on the promise of genuinely surprising twists remains to be seen, but for now, “His & Hers” looks poised to be a solid binge-watch, and a smart play for Netflix in a crowded streaming market. Expect to see this type of efficient, star-driven thriller continue to proliferate – it’s a low-risk, high-reward formula.
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