THE PERFECT COUPLE (2024) – An imperfect murder mystery
Rating: ⭐⭐ 1/2
Nicole Kidman headlines a star-studded ensemble cast in this murder mystery involving a bunch of rich privileged white people that takes place in lavish wedding held at a private seaside residence. It is based on a 2018 novel by Elin Hilderbrand but has similar vibes to the hugely popular The White Lotus TV series. It even has one of the star from The White Lotus Season 2, the excellent Meghann Fahy playing a key character here. However, unfortunately, Perfect Couple is not in the same league as Mike White’s The White Lotus both in terms of the quality of writing, as well as overall performances.
One key draw back here is the believability of the characters. They somehow come across as rather overwritten, with extreme characterisation. Nicole Kidman is playing the mother of 3 grown-up sons but yet she insists on appearing younger and more beautiful and glamorous than her character’s age. She does her usual over the top performance, and even has a nice long monolog melt down scene to play for dramatic effect. It is all very entertaining but in an unrelatable way. Nicole Kidman belongs to that dying breed of Hollywood stars that acts and behaves like she is the greatest actress in the world and dominates every scene she appears in. She is supported by a number of familiar faces and names including my favourite Dakota Fanning. Then there is Liev Schreiber and longtime French actress Isabelle Adjani, whom movie goers would appreciate not having seen for a long time.
On the negative side, the plot fails to provide any great sense of originality in its “who done it” scenario, typically making multiple characters all having a good reason to be the murderer. As the eventual conclusion is finally revealed in the last episode, it becomes apparent that many of these were simply red herring planted to confuse the viewers. In fact, while the motive of the murderer was clear, the choice of murder weapon used is confusing.
On the plus side, the series doesn’t take itself too seriously lending an air of lighthearted humour in the process. This is a clever approach to give the series an entertaining edge. However, none of the characters are truly likeable so the viewer will not be rooting for anyone and the outcome of who actually did it would not make a big difference from a viewers’ sense of satisfaction in seeing “justice made” when the murderer if finally revealed and caught. The series also has a rather catchy and creative opening title sequence where every member of the cast is dancing in rhythm on the beach to a funky beat almost like a group dance in a Hindu movie. I found this energizing, and it was fun to see all the characters together just having fun and united in spirit. I am guilty to say I looked forward to seeing this brief burst of energy that starts off each episode.
I found Perfect Couple a fun but disappointing watch. It kept me interested to see how it would conclude and was an easy binge watch. Unfortunately, for me, the ending did not leave a good impression and made me feel like the killer was just made to be someone that is least expected.
