Malice Review: I Was So Hooked By David Duchovny & Jack Whitehall’s Prime Video Thriller That I Didn’t Want It To End

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Stories about strangers infiltrating seemingly perfect families to target the father are a common trope in thrillers. We’ve seen variations of this plot in films like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and The Guest, but the results are often underwhelming because the outcome is usually predictable.

Good news for viewers looking for something different: the new Prime Video series Malice promises to be a fresh take on the genre. Created by James Wood of Quacks, the show starts on the beautiful Greek island of Paros and focuses on the Tanner family – Jamie, a successful businessman; his wife, Nat; and their three children. During a vacation, they meet Adam Healey, a friendly and capable tutor who works for their acquaintances.

Despite acting strangely at times, Nat brushes it off and offers Adam a permanent job as a nanny for their youngest son, Dexter, with whom Adam connected during their time in Greece. As Adam settles into the family’s life, Jamie and their friends, Damien and Jules, start to wonder if he has hidden intentions, leading to a suspicious and psychologically charged situation.

Starring David Duchovny and Jack Whitehall, the series Malice stands out as a particularly well-done example of the ‘family infiltrator’ genre. A key to its success is the deliberate pacing – the tension builds gradually, and it’s never entirely clear who has the upper hand, especially for Whitehall’s character, Adam. This constant sense of impending chaos keeps viewers hooked and allows them to fully enjoy the unfolding drama.

Malice’s Pacing Is Magnificent

Although Malice can provide some momentary excitement, the film demonstrates that its interesting premise is frequently mishandled. By the third act, the plot either becomes overly dramatic and unintentionally funny, or it quickly devolves into a chaotic fight between the main characters. Sometimes this provides a satisfying climax, but often it feels rushed, leaving the audience feeling detached rather than thrilled.

The six-episode series allows the director to skillfully build suspense around the complicated relationship between Adam and the Tanner family. We start to understand why Adam inserted himself into their lives, and the surprising choices everyone makes keep you guessing about what will happen and how much damage will be done as Adam’s ultimate plan becomes clear.

What really grabbed me was how the filmmaker took this already messed-up family – the Tanners – and just gently nudged things further. It didn’t feel like they were trying to create drama, it just…happened. Jamie is immediately kind of a jerk, hinting at stuff he gets up to outside the marriage, and it feels totally natural. Nat’s relationship is clearly complicated, and their son Kit? He’s already on the edge, and doesn’t need much encouragement to really go off the rails. It was all so subtle and believable.

The show remains strong until the very end, when it feels rushed to wrap up the story. While the plot threads are cleverly tied together, and without giving away any spoilers, the ending is surprisingly open to interpretation regarding Adam’s actions and their impact on the Tanner family. It seems the creator tried to deliver a satisfying conclusion but ended up squeezing the content of an extra episode or two into a single finale.

The Cast Is Downright Elegant In Their Performances

The strength of Malice‘s story lies in its characters, especially the main villain. If they start out seeming strange or unsettling, it’s easy to accept why they become a villain later on. But if they seem too friendly, it’s hard to believe they’d ever cause trouble for the family they’re pretending to be a part of.

Whitehall is a surprisingly effective casting choice for Adam. While he initially comes across as flawed and a bit unsettling, both to those around him and internally, he convincingly portrays a facade of kindness that makes you almost believe he’s a good person. This is a captivating contrast to performances by actors in similar roles, like Maika Monroe in the recent Hand That Rocks the Cradle, who felt coldly predatory and immediately threatening.

Compared to Ed Harris’s changeable portrayal of Whitehall, David Duchovny and Carice van Houten deliver compelling performances as a damaged but devoted couple targeted by Adam. Both actors are excellent in their nuanced roles. Duchovny, known from The X-Files, clearly enjoys playing the darker side of his character, Jamie, while also convincingly portraying his underlying sadness about his difficult family relationships, though his character doesn’t entirely overcome these issues.

The Emmy-nominated actress, known for her work on Game of Thrones, truly shines as the stepmother and businesswoman who is frequently dismissed and underestimated by Jamie. While portraying hardship, the actress avoids making her character seem helpless, instead giving her strength and independence.

I was hoping to see more development in the characters during the last two episodes. Besides Kit, everyone felt pretty much the same as they did at the beginning, which might have kept the story surprising, but it didn’t feel completely satisfying.

Even though Malice doesn’t perfectly tie up every loose end in its story, it’s still a wonderfully rich and engaging film. The mystery unfolds gradually, keeping you guessing until the very end, and the strong acting combined with its surprisingly dark humor kept me completely captivated and wanting more.

Malice is now streaming on Prime Video.

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2025-11-14 16:59