The Beast in Me unites three actors whose work represents major pillars of the 'Peak TV' era – Claire Danes (Homeland), Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) – but renders them all somewhat laughable.
It's hard not to be reminded of that during The Beast in Me, which sees Danes constantly amped up to 11, while co-stars Rhys and Banks chew the scenery until there's nothing left but a damp pile of mulch.
It isn't long before Niles becomes a subject of interest, as the super-rich, hyper-aggressive businessman is plagued by unproven accusations that he murdered his missing ex-wife. Is there more to the story than meets the eye?
That profound, agonising grief (plus intimidation from this enigmatic new neighbour) is the catalyst for an extreme turn from Danes, in which almost every line of dialogue is shakily blurted out in a state of mild to moderate panic.
Equally, The Americans is one of my favourite shows of all time, so I am keenly aware of how masterfully menacing Rhys can be in a quality role; alas, Niles Jarvis more closely resembles a second-rate Bond villain or Succession reject (whichever is worse).
Admittedly, the two leads are such a bizarre pairing that they do keep The Beast in Me watchable in spite of how utterly preposterous it is, so there's a compliment in there somewhere for those willing to go digging.
Although his career pre-dates Breaking Bad, Banks is now best known as Mike Ehrmantraut and, much like co-star Giancarlo Esposito, seems doomed to riff on his character from that show for the rest of his career. Well, at least it's a steady pay cheque.
Ultimately, The Beast in Me is a far cry from the most painful shows I've had to watch in this job; the episodes (mostly) come in under 50 minutes, the characters are larger-than-life, and the plot is so silly that you feel anything could happen.
So while it's tough to recommend The Beast in Me, I also can't deny that it was entertaining – just for all the wrong reasons. And that might be enough to draw a crowd on Netflix, where popularity and excellence are rarely in alignment.
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