Hello friends!
You know those times when you start watching a series because you realize an actor you remember from another show you really liked is in it? It happens sometimes, and among the recent new series, I saw one that caught my attention. I ended up watching it, since it was only six episodes, and I'm sharing it in case you're interested.
I watched it on Amazon Prime Video, and in fact, it was a new addition and was already in the top 10, at least in my country. What TV show am I talking about? This movie is called Malice. And you only need to look at the names of the main actors, can you guess why I'm interested? David Duchovny is in it! The one who starred in The X-Files for many, many years, during my younger years, and I loved that show. I learned a lot despite my age, but it really interested me, so it's a pleasure to see Fox Mulder again, but in a different role, although he's played others before as well. Anyway, let's get to this series, about suspense and intrigue... Hope you like it!
Well, let's tell something about this TV Show. Here my review:
What is this about?
The truth is that this series reminds me of another one, another recent one, also on the same platform, called "The Girlfriend" with Robin Wright, and that also I shared here. It all begins in a large holiday home belonging to some wealthy familiy (the Tanner's), in this case, in Greece. They're not alone; they've hired a nanny to look after their children, but their neighbors have also hired a private tutor who ends up helping the family at the heart of the series. Everything seems perfect... but remember, the series is called "Malice", so... well, I don't want to give too much away, but [possible minor SPOILER]: the guy (Adam) isn't what he seems and starts doing strange things without anyone noticing, except for those of us watching the show.
And what many of us suspected is happening: the boy is gaining the trust of the whole family, even though he's secretly sabotaging them behind their backs. And we're on the edge of our seats watching on screen.
And the trust is so strong that they end up taking him away from his friends and hiring him permanently in London, giving him a room in their own house. Little by little, we also learn some details of his personal life, and we begin to deduce his motivations for wanting to do so much harm in such a subtle way. But over time, the consequences become more evident and negative, to the point that the family begins to fall apart: first with the eldest son getting into trouble, then the dog, the marriage itself, and even the large financial company that the head of the family had founded. It's all problems.
The married couple who are friends begin to see the signs and investigate, uncovering some details, but the young professor (a psychopath) manages to neutralize them, ensnares them, and always gets away with it.
I don't want to reveal too much, to keep the suspense alive... but little by little everything becomes clearer and more complicated at the same time. Until everything becomes unbearable, because the evil deeds are getting stronger and stronger... and everything unfolds frenetically towards the end, returning once again to the starting point, the Greek island where suddenly everything becomes fast-paced action and a tremendous and unexpected denouement.
The characters
The cast is very good, especially the two male leads: on the one hand, the veteran star David Duchovny, whose age is starting to show, in a very different role. His performance as the wealthy investor Jamie Tanner is good, but I'll always prefer him as Fox Mulder in The X-Files, I'm sorry. But it's a pleasure to see him again, even though I know he's played other varied roles as well.
And on the other hand, there's the young star Jack Whitehall, who's also familiar to us from other series and films. He gives a superb performance as a psychopath, that's for sure. So, very good even though everything he does gets on our nerves.
Also worth mentioning is the female protagonist, the rich man's wife (Nat Tanner), played by Carice van Houten, another veteran actress whose role deserves recognition.
Anything else to comment?
Honestly, I didn't like it that much. I know the plot is something we've seen before, it's not very original, and the actors and their performances are good, but the script falls short. I don't know if the screenwriters didn't want to think too deeply, because everything is very obvious, and it seems like the coincidences and timing are perfect for the psychopath, Adam, for whom everything goes right. That doesn't happen in real life.
Furthermore, storylines and threads are left unresolved, such as what happened to the married couple who were friends of theirs, especially the husband? A new storyline is introduced with the confrontation... things happen that I won't describe here; you'd better see it for yourselves. And then we never find out what happened to them again.
And I should also mention the very beginning of the series. Adam appears traveling to New York... you immediately reach a conclusion that you later realize was true. In other words, the writers themselves reveal part of the ending if you think about it for a moment. They take away some of the intrigue, and in a way, it's a subtle self-spoiler.
So, I think that despite the actors, the script is bad, basic, and weak. In the end, they add more action when everything comes to light, but in a clumsy way, and with a rushed and poorly thought-out ending. The only question left is whether there will be a second season, because it doesn't appear to be finished, but of course, there are things that would need to be clarified then. I don't know. I don't know if I'll watch a second season, maybe out of curiosity, and if it does eventually air, I hope they improve the script so I can better enjoy the actors' performances.
If you've already watched it... what do you think?
More information about the TV Show and the shared images here: Original title: Malice (2025) - IMDB: Malice
