The Perfect Couple Review: A Star-Studded Whodunit That Lacks The Thrill Factor

OTT Platform: Netflix:
Run Time: 6 Episodes (for 1 Hour approx.)
Star Cast:
Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury
Liev Schrieber as Tag Winbury
Eve Hewson as Celeste (Bride)
Billy Howle as Benji Winbury (Groom) 2nd son
Meghann Fahy as Merritt Monaco (Murdered woman)
Dakota Fanning as Abby Winbury, Oldest Daughter In law
Jack Reynor as Thomas Winbury, Abby’s husband and 1st son
Ishaan Khatter as Skater close Family friend
Michael Beach as sheriff
Donna Lynne Champlin as Detective Nikki Henry

The Perfect Couple landed on Netflix recently. A who dun-it with a stellar cast including Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning, Rock and Roll super Star Bono’s daughter Eve Hewson and our very own Ishaan Khatter is based on a best-selling novel by Elin Hilderbrand.

Set in the scenic town of Nantucket, the story revolves round a murder during high-society wedding festivities and the chaos that it unleashes. The gaiety goes awry when the bridal party finds the bride’s best friend, Merritt has drowned, and all signs point to foul play.

Further, Greer and Tag (Nicole Kidman and Liev Schrieber), the matriarch and patriarch of the Winbury family, who are touted as ‘The perfect couple’, with 29 years of marriage and 3 handsome boys are anything but perfect.

You quickly realize, that not only are Greer and Tag very far from being flawless, their kids too are an absolute mess, and each episode peels back the layers of each relationship to reveal how rotten they are at the core.

The Perfect Couple boasts of an intriguing mix of characters and unpredictable twists. For example, The bride, Ishaan’s character is well etched out with decent screen time. He looks good and acts well! Infact he is one of the stand out elements of the series., seem to have everything in place, but as the investigation unfolds, secrets and tensions come to the surface. Each character is richly developed, adding layers to the narrative as everyone becomes a potential suspect.

Visually, the show excels with its picturesque setting, capturing the charm of Nantucket and the luxury of a high-profile wedding. The cinematography enhances the beauty of the location while also adding a sense of eeriness to the unfolding drama.

The plot is a slow burner and reveals little by little and takes the story forward, leaving little clues here and there, yet in all likelihood, your chances of guessing the killer remain bleak; as the narrative keeps investigating one character after the other, all being potential suspects, yet all ending up with irrefutable alibies.

The acting is solid, with standout performances that bring depth to complex relationships.

Ishaan’s character is well etched out with decent screen time. He looks good and acts well! Infact he is one of the stand out elements of the series.

But is ‘The Perfect Couple’ compelling enough? I would say not!! While the flow of the story and the acting are all seamless, yet the thrill factor is missing.

The genre has been done to death and we more or less know how the cookie will crumble and so at times, you are tempted to straight away go to the last episode for a final reveal.

The complicated rich lifestyles are also rather predictable with adultery, addiction, money trouble and waywardness ruling the roost, the only novelty is the dynamic of who fits what profile.

All in all, in case you have a Netflix subscription, go ahead and watch it, you will be entertained. But in case you are not presently subscribed, this series is not reason enough to subscribe to it.