Last week, as I searched Netflix, I came across a trailer for The Perfect Couple, a six-episode murder mystery starring Nicole Kidman, Liv Schreiber, and Eve Hewson. Even though the trailer hooked me with its quick succession of funny one-liners, I wondered if the show would be just a stale re-telling of an over-used trope: how rich people, literally and figuratively, get away with murder.

I didn’t have to worry. The acting, including the minor characters, is excellent. The pacing kept me so engaged that I didn’t scroll on my cellphone or leave the couch for a snack. The plot twists intrigued me enough to binge watch the last two episodes, even though it meant staying up quite late. I loved the structure of the series, how the story unfolded from episode to episode. Most of all, I liked the sardonic humor.

            The tale opens on the night of a fabulous rehearsal dinner at a lovely Nantucket beachside mansion. Eve Hewson plays Amelia, a middle-class woman, who is about to marry Benji,a son in the wealthy Winbury family, owners of said mansion. Merritt, the maid of honor, is Amelia’s best friend. The morning after the rehearsal dinner, Merritt’s bruised body washes up on the sand behind the family estate.                   

The police are convinced that Merritt has been murdered, but the family tries to pass off the event as a tragic suicide or if not that, merely an accident. Amelia knows this is a lie. But the iron-fisted family matriarch, Greer (played  by Kidman), is a world-famous author who cares only about avoiding bad publicity and making sure her imminent book launch goes swimmingly. Not the least bit concerned about the murdered maid of honor, Greer pressures her future daughter-in-law to sign an NDA, which Amelia does.

The story is structured such that at beginning of each episode, convincing new evidence points to a suspect. That suspect is dragged down to the station and is interrogated by the police, followed by the viewer getting to see what really happened. Gullible as I am, after each bit of new evidence emerged, I half-believed the culprit had been discovered. By episode six, when the perp finally gets caught, I didn’t see it coming. In retrospect, it made sense that the perp would have been motivated to commit the crime. However, the portrayal of how that person managed to accomplish the deed strained credulity.

            The point of view of the narrative differentiated the show from many other depictions of corrupt and entitled wealthy families. Much of the tale unfolds as the police interrogate the family and their support staff. So, we viewers tend to see the story through the viewpoint of the law enforcement folks. Michael Beach plays Dan Carter, the town police chief and Donna Lynne Champlin, plays an investigator from the state. Their funny, understated performances alone make the series worth watching. Their characters possess an intelligence and integrity that provide a dramatic counterpoint and an incisive commentary regarding the corruption and absurdities of the Winbury family. Once of their best interrogations is with Gosia, the Polish maid. She provides revealing observations of family behavior that are laugh out loud funny. But what makes Gosia’s testimony even more humorous is that is she sees the family’s actions as perfectly acceptable behavior.

            Will this series exercise your brain cells? No.

But, if you are in the mood for clever lines, good ensemble acting, lovely shots of Nantucket, and an entertaining plot, this might be the movie for you.

            Interested in more film recommendations? Check out my reviews of WICKED LITTLE LETTERS, PRESUMED INNOCENT, or PERFECT DAYS.