Disclaimer: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Cate Blanchett, Sacha Baron Cohen and Kevin Kline star in a high-class thriller from director Alfonso Cuarón
Year: 2024
Certificate: 18
If you want a straightforward thriller then this winding series from celebrated movie director Alfonso Cuarón (Roma), based on a book by Renée Knight, might not seem like it's for you. Give it until the end of the first episode, though, when its three storylines start to dovetail, until you make a decision - and be aware that that racy opening scene on the train is a sign of much racier things to come.
Cate Blanchett stars in one of the three storylines as top journalist Catherine, a woman who has a tricky relationship with her son and a secret she's keeping from her husband, Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen). We also meet a young couple on a spirited holiday in Italy, and Stephen (Kevin Kline), a retired teacher who is dealing with the death of his wife, Nancy (Lesley Manville).
All three stories are deeply connected and come together in the manner of a symphony as this high-class series unfolds. Cuarón feels more like a conductor than he does a director here, blending it all into one steadily mesmerising whole. You can see why he's attracted the cast he has for this, his groaning mantlepiece of Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes aside.
It's also quite a racy show at times - in its opening scene and later on, especially in episode three, in the flashback to what happened on Catherine's holiday. Even in a time when we're quite used to seeing female empowerment in the bedroom on screen, that episode feels like it's pushing the envelope and certainly on Apple, which isn't known for its racy content. (Seven episodes)
