Kidman's drama is not-so-perfect

ON PAPER, everything about Netflix’s new and much-hyped mystery drama, The Perfect Couple, screams hit show. Much like Big Little Lies, it’s a hit book- turned-high-production-series.

- Hayley Spencer

The show, adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s 2018 novel, is centred on a murder in an elite community and follows the wealthy Windbury family. The title refers to the its matriarch and patriarch (Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber), with the drama unfolding on the grounds of their picturesque house in Nantucket.

There’s also an impressive supporting cast of up-and-comers including Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) and Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters and Bono’s daughter).

So far, so perfect — it sounds like a real coup for Netflix. But as it plays out, the show fails to take off in the same style that the promo shots would have you expect. Kidman’s performance is lacklustre and the script often misses the subtlety to match the talents of its big-name stars.