With Nicole Kidman starring in a HBO drama written by David E. Kelley, it’s simple to think about The Undoing as a form of Massive Little Lies spinoff, with Kidman’s Celeste transferring from Monterey to New York Metropolis and discovering love once more with Hugh Grant after that unlucky Perry scenario. (Hey, she deserves it!) However The Undoing — premiering Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9/8c; I’ve seen 5 of the six episodes — is a distinct animal altogether. It’s extra of a traditional thriller than Massive Little Lies was, favoring plot over character because it spins a twist-laden homicide thriller. And if it’s finally not as emotionally advanced as Massive Little Lies, it’s extra instantly gripping, with a breathless tempo and a wealth of compelling performances.
Kidman stars as Grace Fraser, a well-to-do mother and psychologist married to oncologist Jonathan (Grant), sharing a luxurious Manhattan house with him and their teen son Henry (Noah Jupe). Life is sweet for the Frasers: Their marriage is stable, and so they’re awash in upper-crust privilege. Kelley has proven he has a knack for lampooning the very wealthy, and the jabs are sharp right here within the early going. Noah’s faculty holds a black-tie fundraiser the place mother and father are prepared to pay a thousand {dollars} for a glass of water simply to point out how charitable they are often (or how little a thousand {dollars} means to them).
However this can be a homicide thriller, in spite of everything: A surprising tragedy quickly rocks their world, somebody finally ends up useless and Grace is left clutching at straws as her rigorously manicured life begins to crumble earlier than her eyes. I don’t wish to say way more, as a result of the first pleasure of The Undoing is the way it doles out its twists with environment friendly precision. It performs like a compulsively readable page-turner as Grace is pummeled by a relentless barrage of jaw-dropping revelations that reveal severe cracks within the basis of her marriage. Emmy winner Susanne Bier (The Night time Supervisor) directs all six episodes, and he or she expertly amplifies the strain with jittery framing and intense close-ups with blurry edges. HBO is sticking with a traditional weekly launch, however this present is custom-made for a binge; every episode ends on a shocking cliffhanger that leaves you wanting, no, needing to see extra.
Kidman does a lot of the heavy lifting right here, and never surprisingly, she’s terrific. Grace is put by means of the emotional wringer as her suspicions mount and he or she begins sniffing out lies. (Massive ones, not little ones.) I used to be a bit involved at first that Grace was too reactive a personality, however finally, she does begin to take some company and put her psychology expertise to good use to get some solutions. Kidman is given a thousand completely different feelings to play, and he or she’s capable of go from confused to scared to unhappy to offended seemingly inside moments, giving the sequence a hefty emotional anchor even because the twists begin to pile up.
Hugh Grant is an underrated actor — go watch A Very English Scandal in the event you doubt that, or Paddington 2, for that matter — and he will get to point out off appreciable dramatic chops right here, as Jonathan’s luck turns very unhealthy certainly. The supporting solid is stuffed with gems, like Lily Rabe as Grace’s lawyer pal Sylvia, who’d match proper in on Massive Little Lies (“You reside in New York! It’s a criminal offense to not be frantically busy!”), Donald Sutherland as Grace’s imperious father and Noma Dumezweni as blunt protection lawyer Haley Fitzgerald, who swiftly cuts by means of the bull: “I don’t make jokes. I’m not humorous.” Positive, there’s an opportunity that when we uncover who the killer is, The Undoing‘s attraction may evaporate in a puff of air, revealing itself to be all twist, no substance. However since we nonetheless don’t know whodunit, we will’t assist however admire the craftsmanship on show right here. Buckle up… and depart some room on the ground on your jaw.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Nicole Kidman’s HBO thriller The Undoing packs a barrage of surprising twists into an environment friendly, efficient homicide thriller.