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Netflix's The Perfect Couple, which is based on a novel by Elin Hilderbrand, is a beach-read mystery wrapped in family secrets and marital drama. The story follows Amelia Sacks, a zoologist who is engaged to marry into the wealthy Winbury family.
Her fiancé, Benji Winbury, is perfect, but when a dead body shows up on their estate the morning following their rehearsal dinner, the wedding now becomes a murder investigation. With the police investigating further, long-kept secrets within the family break down, and it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems.
Instead of going dark and murderous, the show goes light, almost in a comic direction, embracing its soap opera-esque tendencies. A star-studded cast, including Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber, gives life to the broken characters of the Winbury family.
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While the murder investigation steers the plot, the absurdity of their family dynamics, and the show's over-the-top drama, keep viewers laced in. So, for those seeking entertainment without serious narratives, The Perfect Couple might be a desirable watch.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is based on the author's personal opinion
A wedding gone awry: The plot of The Perfect Couple
Located on Nantucket Island on a Fourth of July weekend, The Perfect Couple introduces the perfect Winbury family. It begins at a rehearsal dinner, and this one is as posh as a fairy tale. Amelia's regular parents and down-to-earth best friend, Merritt, hobnob with the more moneyed, crazier Winburys.
Amelia's fiancé, Benji, is thoughtful and sweet, but his family is not normal. The morning following the dinner, they find a body on their estate, and it's time to end the merriment and face some uncomfortable truths.
As Chief of Police Dan Carter, played by Michael Beach, starts his investigation, it is crystal clear that the Winburys are all about appearances. At first, they try to sweep it under the rug, but with the arrival of Detective Nikki Henry, played by Donna Lynne Champlin, from the mainland, business gets underway.
Each member of the family, even the matriarch, Greer Winbury, played by Nicole Kidman, seems to be hiding something. What starts as a routine probe quickly spirals into an intertwined web of deception and lies, brought into the open. These secrets could derail more than the wedding itself.
Read more: The Perfect Couple on Netflix: Full list of cast
The characters of The Perfect Couple: Flawed and fascinating
Oddly, the strength of The Perfect Couple lies with the characters. Nicole Kidman stars as Greer Winbury, a novelist who controls her family with quiet intensity. Her husband, Tag, played by Liev Schreiber, is more concerned with leisure than family matters.
Equally tangled are her children: Benji's older brother, Tom, is a brash and arrogant figure, barely held in check by his calculating wife, Abby, while the youngest sibling, Will, carries the emotional baggage of the family, making him one of the more intriguing figures in the show.
Amelia, on the other hand, marrying into this chaotic family, stands her ground. She is never afraid to call Greer out or to question some of the quirky family rituals. She adds another layer of tension to the plot.
Much of the narrative is fueled by Amelia's gradual but increasing discomfort with the tenuous facade of the Winburys, which escalates into a series of attempts to ferret out their secrets. While all the characters are interrogated by the police, layer after layer unfolds, revealing larger and larger flaws in this perfect family.
Secrets, lies, and drama: The mystery unravels
The murder investigation that follows remarkably uses flashbacks and interviews with the suspects to piece together that night of the rehearsal dinner. The plot never takes itself seriously and often leans into its soap opera-like roots, with melodramatic reveals and absurd twists.
The show, while steady, has great pacing, maintaining the viewer's attention particularly when the juicier of the family secrets begin to unravel. A high point of this series is when Amelia confronts Greer about the family's use of NDAs to cover up scandals in episode 3.
That scene sets the series off, as Amelia gets bolder and more inquisitive throughout the series. By the time the finale rolls around, the mystery reaches a boiling point, with each revelation outlandish compared to the last.
It tempers the drama well with lighthearted moments, including a repeated dance sequence that adds something playful to the show. This blend of humor and suspense prevents The Perfect Couple from being too dark and, therefore fun to watch, though often a bit ridiculous.
Read more: How was Netflix’s The Perfect Couple different from the novel?
Netflix's The Perfect Couple isn't a deep, intense thriller, and it never tries to be. It is a campy, melodramatic mystery with enough twists and intrigue about the characters to keep viewers tuned in. For those who love family drama wrapped up in a murder mystery, this is one series that provides just the right amount of suspense while never taking itself seriously.
