Review: ‘The Perfect Couple’ Is So Unhinged, I Can’t Help But Laugh

The Perfect Couple is the latest thriller mini-series to hit Netflix, and while it gives everything you’d expect from a “Who done it?”-style show, it’s also unexpectedly, outrageously hilarious. Adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same title, the series is basically five hours of the most nightmarish, ignorant characters displaying exceptionally unhinged behavior, all while set in the charming seaside atmosphere and nauseating wealth of Nantucket.

The premise of The Perfect Couple is that the prestigious Winbury family is gathering at their Nantucket home to celebrate the wedding of one of the three Winbury sons. The gaiety goes awry when the bridal party finds the bride’s best friend, Merritt, drowned, and all signs point to foul play. Every episode tore multiple laughs of disbelief from my body, and as awful as the characters are, I couldn’t stop watching the trainwreck unfold—here’s why.

The “perfect couple” is so clearly not perfect

Greer and Tag (Nicole Kidman and Liev Schrieber), the matriarch and patriarch of the Winbury family, are the perfect couple in question, but as the reason for the family’s gathering is the wedding of their son Benji (Billy Howle), Greer also tries to position them as perfect to maintain the family’s contrived image. You quickly realize, however, that each couple in the family is very, very far from flawless. They’re actually an absolute mess, and each episode peels back the layers of each relationship to reveal how rotten they are at the core.

The things these people say and do are audacious

Both leading up to Merritt’s death and during the investigation following her untimely demise, every member of the Winbury family conducts themselves in a way that only the exorbitantly wealthy who know they can get away with anything do. Dakota Fanning, who plays the eldest Winbury son’s wife, is perhaps the most delightfully deranged out of the miserable group. In addition to her smug, catty character, Liev Schreiber’s Tag had me cringing and repeatedly muttering about what an idiot he is. The impromptu performance of Never Gonna Give You Up after blowing up his and Greer’s “perfect” marriage at her book launch event was laughably demented. Similar to the comedic yet disturbing vibe of The White Lotus, The Perfect Couple shows how those with huge amounts of disposable income can often use their cash as an excuse to act totally bizarre.

The intro is beyond bizarre

After about three episodes, I started ranting about the weird flashmob intro. I thought maybe it would make sense at some point, but no. Just an odd scene with the wedding guests performing a coordinated dance on the beach to Meghan Trainer’s Criminals, where they all point finger guns at each other and laugh and hug at the end. I guess you can call it foreshadowing for everyone being a suspect in Merritt’s murder, but I hate-watched it even harder than I hate-watched these characters display the worst of the 1 percent. It was awful, but I couldn’t look away.

The plot had me guessing until the very last episode

I have not read Hilderbrand’s book, so I didn’t know what to expect from Netflix’s adaptation of The Perfect Couple. The show does a great job of framing everyone as a possible suspect, and I truly didn’t know who killed Merritt until the last episode. In addition to the murder investigation being the plot’s focal point, there are a ton of nuanced twists that reveal the true nature of the Winbury family’s relationships. These little revelations build and build until their perfect image is as dead as Merritt. You’re constantly on the edge of your seat as their collective narcissism catches up with them in the most messy of ways. As a murder mystery, this series unfolded in a super satisfying way—much like Knives Out, but in a series format.

The ending was sheer perfection

As the murderer is being arrested at the Winbury estate, throwing the most spectacular, entitled, haughty tantrum Nantucket has ever seen, another member of the family is so blissfully ignorant that they don’t even notice what’s going on until they turn around and see the police leaving with the killer in cuffs. They let out a confused, “What the fuck?” and honestly, that pretty much encapsulates the entire six-episode experience that was The Perfect Couple. This show was an absolute circus show that you raptly watch with many an uncomfortable giggle, scoff of outrage, and dumbfounded jaw drop along the way.

If you love gaudy, comedic, out-there murder mysteries like The White Lotus, Knives Out, or Only Murders in the Building, you will love The Perfect Couple. While the star-studded cast might be what initially draws you to the show, you won’t be able to stop watching once you get a taste of that super-strange intro. If you like your thrillers without hilarity, sit this one out. However, for those of us who love to laugh and cringe while we also feel a little scared, The Perfect Couple is a definite watch (and rewatch).

The Perfect Couple

Amelia (Eve Hewson) is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. However, the night before her big day, her maid of honor is found dead. Suddenly, everyone in the wedding party is a suspect. Amelia’s new mother-in-law, Greer (Nicole Kidman), and father-in-law, Tag (Liev Schreiber), try to control the narrative around the murder as much as possible—but every couple on this island is far from perfect.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Alyssa Davis, Contributing Writer

Alyssa Davis is a freelance writer specializing in home, lifestyle, beauty, and entertainment content. She studied English at Indiana University and has since produced articles for publications including SheKnows, Architectural Digest, and Well+Good, to name a few.