If you take the time to look through the Netflix library, you’ll notice some trends with its programming. This is thanks to the ever-present algorithm that both suggests shows you might enjoy and helps Netflix decide what to produce. The specific trend I want to discuss is the tendency to market a show with two known actors at the forefront. Whether it’s Jason Bateman and Jude Law or Taylor Kitsch and Betsy Gilpin, you better believe Netflix is going to put them front and center. It’s basic marketing 101, especially for a streaming service all about the endless binge. With The Beast in Me, Netflix has found its best pairing yet.
A psychological thriller from The X-Files’ Gabe Rotter and Homeland’s Howard Gordon, The Beast in Me pits Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys against one another. Danes is Aggie Wiggs, a grieving author struggling to write her next book. Rhys plays Nile Jarvis, the son of a real estate magnate who moves next door to lie low after being accused of his first wife’s murder. There’s an instant spark between the two. Nile believes he’s found a kindred spirit, and Aggie’s discovered a new subject for her book.
If you’re looking for a new murder mystery, The Beast in Me isn’t much of one. While there are truths waiting to be uncovered, the information points to exactly who you’d expect. Instead, the show plays as a character study of two people drawn to each other despite their best interests. So much so that it struggles to hold itself together when they’re not on screen.
Danes and Rhys are electric. Their scenes together create tension. It’s thrilling to watch the duo circle each other, both waiting for the chance to strike. Rhys is playing in a different mode than usual. Nile is full of toxic charm, a man clearly used to getting his way and not opposed to insulting those around him to get it. Danes sticks to what she’s best at. Aggie is so worn out by life that she could snap at any moment. They work so well together that you almost forget about the supporting players.
The Beast in Me boasts a deep bench. The likes of Brittany Snow, Jonathan Banks, Julie Ann Emery, and David Lyons all turn in solid supporting performances. Banks is a standout as Nile’s father, Martin. His weary take on the Logan Roy archetype provides a needed context for Nile and his upbringing. The writing sells these actors short, especially near the end, but their work remains entertaining.
While the plot gets unwieldy the more it goes on, The Beast in Me succeeds on the back of its actors. It’s easy to excuse a few missteps in the story when you have two characters this fun to watch. Rhys and Danes create a tension all their own. One that is as irresistible as it is intolerable. The type of magic that the algorithm can only hope to recreate.
The Beast in Me in currently streaming on Netflix.