Nicole Kidman can't save Netflix’s frothy The Perfect Couple

Nicole Kidman’s TV career since Big Little Lies has been fascinating. The actor’s award-winning work in that HBO series catapulted her into doing various small-screen projects, in which she usually played a woman plagued by emotional distress. Some choices are moving if underrated, like this year’s Expats on Prime Video, while others are surprising, like Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness on Paramount+. Her other campy picks range from fun (HBO’s The Undoing) to awful (Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, which is somehow returning for season two). Many of these roles don’t challenge Kidman as an actor, even if she’s seemingly embodying them over a long period. Kidman is a welcome sight, but her TV shows might not be because they’re starting to feel too similar. 

The actor is evidently staking her claim on streaming, especially if the show can be passed off as prestige. And now it’s Netflix’s turn to cash in on this journey. Except The Perfect Couple is a great example of the downside of Peak TV. It’s littered with talented stars and set in a stunning location, but the show is riddled with clichés without a bit of depth. The result is frothy but disappointing, especially if the hope is to see a killer Kidman performance. (We’ll have to wait for Halina Reijn’s upcoming Babygirl for that.) The Netflix series is in the vein of The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers in that everyone acts a notch more melodramatic than necessary to prove a point, but the hollow narrative and predictable twists don’t care to match up. 

The Perfect Couple is a pretty accurate adaptation of Elin Hildebrand’s novel. The A.V. Club’s preview referred to it as a “beach read come to life,” which it very much is, so it’s odd the show launches now instead of over the summer because at least then it would’ve been easier to immerse in its sunny Nantucket vibes. And vibes are exactly what TPC coasts on. The characters are superficial, the dialogue lacks spark, and the cliffhangers don’t hit hard. The show is an unserious murder mystery involving the rich holding onto their lies for dear life. Don’t expect more nuance than that. Sadly, it robs Kidman & Co. from acting like expressive, multi-dimensional humans. 

Here, she plays a famous suspense author, Greer Winbury, who is getting set to promote her latest novel, A Death In Dubai. Greer is married to the charming Tag (Liev Schrieber), who’s immediately referred to as a DILF by his daughter-in-law in the premiere. They’re celebrating their son Benji’s (Billy Howle) wedding to Amelia (Eve Hewson), although Greer doesn’t approve of Amelia’s middle-class upbringing. Still, everyone is masquerading as a happy family, grooving to Meghan Trainor’s “Criminals” on the beach in a cheery dance routine that doubles as the show’s opening credits. However, when a dead body washes on the shore of their property, the merriment and nuptials come to a rapid halt. 

Like any good Agatha Christie page-turner, everyone is a suspect, including the bride, groom, and their parents. The Perfect Couple presents several red herrings, including Benji’s two brothers, Thomas (Jack Reynor) and Will (Sam Nivola); his pregnant sister-in-law, Abby (Dakota Fanning); and his best friend, Shooter (Ishaan Khattar). Other supporting players include Amelia’s maid-of-honor, Merritt (Meghann Fahy); the Winburys’ vaguely described family friend, Isabel (Isabelle Adjani); and their maid, Gosia (Irina Dubova). Using a formulaic approach, The Perfect Couple establishes their motives and alibis to prove the wholesome Winbury clan is actually full of shit. 

Over six hour-long episodes, the series weaves through classic stereotypes like secret affairs, money problems, love triangles, blackmail, and other reasons someone at the wedding might’ve wanted to get away with murder. For anyone familiar with the pleasures of flipping through a facile mystery, The Perfect Couple checks those expected boxes. It doesn’t focus on heavier themes or an analysis of flawed protagonists, and there isn’t an ounce of subversion or inventiveness going on here. It’s pure fluff that doesn’t require much of your attention. This all makes it difficult to care about anyone, including a grounded Amelia, who is unsure of her feelings for Benji. Meanwhile, Greer and Tag deal with marital strife and attempt to maintain decorum under the light of media attention, and two investigating officers (played by Donna Lynn-Champlin and Michael Beach) try to outwit everyone to solve the case. 

The Undoing’s Susanna Bier directs all of these installments, effectively letting the camera stay on the Winburys’ vast and beautiful property to establish the “perfect” setting. She mixes this visual up with close-ups of the actors as they (excessively) react to their definitely-not-perfect circumstances. None of the performances are breakouts, but at least Reynor and Fanning have a delightful time playing a cocky married duo. But it honestly almost feels like the cast wanted a swanky vacation in Nantucket, and the results come off as confounding as some of Kidman’s recent TV choices. 

The Perfect Couple premieres September 5 on Netflix