Atração Fatal

Lots of angry reviews here, outraged at the attempts by Paramount to re-do the classic 80's thriller of the same name. Some, I believe, haven't actually watched past the first episode, which is quite patchy for thrillers like this, which is unusual. I'm through four episodes that I feel gives a fairly good rounding. There are clever moments, scenes that hark back to the film but it spins out the story here with great skill . The leads are terrific, reminding one how good an actor Joshua Jackson has proved to be. I like the backward flashes and different POV's. It does feel like it should be a mini series though. Hoping Paramount don't try and milk it. Crimes of passion are devastating, the impact on families is insurmountable. Good so far and ironically tantalising as the ensemble untangle the aftermath of ego, temptation guilt and redemption. No rabbit stew yet, but brace yourselves!

I've read a few reviews criticizing the show: saying that the cast isn't attractive enough- especially the actress playing Alex... I'm not sure why people are expecting a soap opera looking cast and for Dan to find a sultry Jennifer Lopez look a-like in the office but whatever. It's not a Lifetime movie here. Lizzy Caplan's Alex is pretty, like a real woman pretty. She's also a great actress, being creepy and sympathetic at the same time.

Only 4 episodes in and I think it's a decent slow burn moody show. The actors do a pretty great job. I always enjoy seeing Joshua Jackson. It's also nice to see Amanda Peet. I love 80's horror/thrillers so I'm trying not to compare this show to the 80's one. Obviously some (most) are going to prefer the very entertaining 80's Fatal Attraction over this one but I think you can like both!

As the plot summary so eloquently puts it:

It is "a deep-dive reimagining of the classic's thriller, exploring timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders and coercive control".

Keyword here is 're-imagination'. The TV series certainly has a different vibe/demeanor to it.

There's a huge twist in the last episode. Motivations, what drives people to do what they do, conflicts, misunderstandings, baggages, perceptions, perspectives, people's influences on one another, how a person gets molded into who they are, human psychology, it's all at play there.

There's probably a season 2 coming. I would certainly look forward to it.

The movie was one of a kind, and the show seems to be taking the premise and exploring Alex's side more deeply, while possibly adhering to the original ending the movie had, but never stuck to. It's certainly worthwhile in 2023 to finally explore Alex's story, but this show doesn't capture what made the movie so special.

The acting is good, the writing is so so, but it's simply missing the magic of the movie. Maybe it's a lack of chemistry among the leads, or that the present day unravelling of the mystery/Dan's daughter's storyline feeling clunky. I'll probably stick with it to see how things play out, but I'm not disturbed and captivated the way I am during the movie (and I've seen it many times).

Don't expect any surprises. It's pretty easy figure out in the first exposure. I did enjoy the 3rd episode retold from Alex point of view. My biggest complaint is Lizzie Caplan. She is just so horribly miscast. They did her no favors in styling her character either. There was no smolder to make me believe he would find her so irresistible that he would abandoned what is portrayed as a perfectly happy home. I don't mind Josh Jackson He's a great actor and he's believable considering the semi bad writing of this newly twisted story. I'm on the fence about finishing it. I probably will but I hope something changes quick.