Homeland & The Americans Hit Netflix: Year’s Best Thriller!

What’s it About?

Following the tragic death of her young son, renowned author Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes) has withdrawn from public life, unable to write and completely devastated. However, she finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is purchased by Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a formidable real estate magnate who was also the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance.

Both horrified and fascinated by this man, Aggie dives headfirst into a quest for the truth, chasing new demons to escape her own, in a deadly cat-and-mouse game that may prove fatal.

Who’s Involved?

Five years after bidding farewell to her character Carrie Mathison in Homeland, Claire Danes reunites with showrunner Howard Gordon (also behind 24 and X-Files). Moving away from terrorism and espionage plots, the duo teams up with Netflix for The Beast in Me, a thriller that promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

The 46-year-old actress demonstrates she hasn’t lost her touch, portraying a psychologically unstable writer. Matching her in intensity, Matthew Rhys delivers a masterful performance, on par with his work in The Americans. Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect), David Lyons (Revolution), and Jonathan Banks (Mike from Breaking Bad) round out this stellar cast.

Worth a Look?

If you hadn’t heard of The Beast in Me until today, know that the series will soon be the talk of the town following its Netflix debut. This psychological drama, starting as a neighborhood thriller, is definitely the show not to miss this week.

With sharp and unembellished writing, Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys deliver two of Netflix’s finest performances this year. Danes is poignantly moving as a broken mother trying to pick up the pieces. Rhys is equally terrifying, his icy blue stare chilling to the bone. Each of their confrontations delivers palpable tension.

Like the heroine whose morbid curiosity about her neighbor turns into fascination, we become obsessed with the character of Nile Jarvis: is he as evil as rumored? The Beast in Me leads us through a delightful maze of doubt. We switch allegiances, nearly attaching ourselves to these two anti-heroes who share similarities. Ironically, it’s this man she suspects of being a criminal who revitalizes Aggie and gives her a new reason to live after the loss of her son. On paper, these two could have been friends. They almost need each other.

But as its title suggests, The Beast in Me (The Monster Within) reminds us that we are all predators at different levels. While there are a few slow moments and some inconsistencies, the series holds its course until episode 8, culminating in a more than satisfying conclusion.