The Beast in Me Review: Claire Danes & Matthew Rhys Lead a Forgettable Indulgence

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Aggie Wiggs is a writer struggling to find inspiration, but it’s more than just writer’s block – she simply can’t find a compelling subject. She spends her days at home with her dog, constantly restless at her desk. She avoids one room in particular, the former bedroom of her son who tragically died in a car accident. Her new neighbor, Nile Jarvis, is a wealthy businessman with a dark past – he was once the main suspect in his wife’s death. He also has some strange ideas, believing he can change someone’s sexual orientation. Aggie, however, unexpectedly finds inspiration in him – he’s become her muse.

The new series, The Beast in Me, doesn’t immediately grab your attention, and it doesn’t quite reach the heights of other shows like Adolescence or Untamed. Created by Gabe Rotter, it feels designed to blend in with the numerous miniseries released in 2025. However, that doesn’t make it a bad show. In fact, The Beast in Me can be surprisingly enjoyable if you accept that it’s fairly conventional. Claire Danes (Homeland) and Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason) add a definite spark with their captivating chemistry as Aggie and Nile; their interactions are like a thrilling game of predator and prey. This is a show that delivers instant satisfaction. After the eighth and final episode, you can feel satisfied knowing you’ve enjoyed a tasty cat-and-mouse chase, and then easily move on to something else.

The Beast in Me Tackles the Obsession With Murderers

Though not a true-crime series, The Beast in Me shares many similarities with the genre. It delves into the public’s fascination with true crime, but all the stories are fictional. This distance allows the show to explore dark themes without the risk of being insensitive to real-life tragedies. In The Beast in Me, creators Rotter and Gordon examine society’s complex interest in the minds of murderers, though the show occasionally indulges in that fascination itself. As Aggie spends more time with Nile, she becomes increasingly disturbed yet captivated by him. A former successful writer, she feels a need to reignite her creativity after the loss of her son, and Nile unexpectedly fills that void. However, it’s often unclear whether Aggie is genuinely seeking the truth about his wife’s death, attempting to profit from his story, or simply using him as a source of emotional release.

Eventually, the details of his wife’s death are revealed, but it doesn’t feel like a major breakthrough in the story. The episode focuses more on understanding Aggie’s state of mind after meeting Nile, rather than exploring Nile’s influence on Aggie. This is a refreshing change from typical crime dramas where the killer’s motives are always the focus. Instead, the episode asks what happens to someone who becomes obsessed with understanding dangerous people. Hiring a writer without extensive experience in criminal investigation was a clever decision. It allows Aggie to be both competent and recklessly curious, pushing her to cross boundaries.

The show begins to falter when it delves into sensitive topics like mental illness and its impact on relationships. It does a decent job of reducing the stigma around some conditions and highlighting the vulnerability of those affected, as seen with Nile exploiting Aggie’s grief to gain control. However, the show stumbles when a character is portrayed with stereotypical symptoms that define their entire personality. This is made worse by a late-season flashback reveal that feels uninspired and lacks genuine suspense.

Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys Connect With Impeccable Chemistry

Claire Danes and Rhys deliver compelling performances in The Beast in Me, particularly Danes, who brilliantly portrays the inner turmoil of a perfectionist, writer, and someone constantly searching for truth. Through subtle gestures, like absentmindedly touching her face without concern for her appearance, she convincingly shows Aggie’s self-neglect and underlying distress, making the character feel incredibly real. The added weight of Aggie’s troubled past relationship and the loss of her son further complicates things. Danes skillfully reveals the humanity within Aggie, making even her questionable actions understandable as expressions of grief.

Rhys cultivates an unsettling aura, always lurking until he needs to demonstrate his skill. He’s disturbingly animalistic – there’s a scene where he devours a whole chicken like a wild dog, deliberately leaving scraps to savor later. Nile is a master of psychological games, expertly manipulating and tormenting those he targets from the shadows. Even when he seems vulnerable, Rhys quickly recovers with a charming smile, projecting an air of indifference. When he does lose control, it’s a chaotic outburst that’s both terrifying and strangely captivating.

Rhys and Danes have a lot of screen time together, and they expertly turn even simple conversations into intense explorations of each other’s motives. What’s impressive is that neither actor dominates – they constantly shift between questioning and being questioned, revealing the hidden complexities of both characters. The only drawback is that their captivating dynamic makes you wish they’d collaborate on a longer, multi-season show. The Beast in Me is a gripping, short watch, but it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as their previous work, like Homeland.

The Beast In Me Falls Through the Cracks

“The Beast in Me” is an odd show – it’s enjoyable, but also surprisingly basic. While a classic cat-and-mouse game between a possible killer and their investigator is perfectly fine, the show could benefit from more exciting elements to really stand out. Visually, it’s not very striking – the lighting and camera work are quite plain. However, the set design is a highlight, creating a convincing sense of realism. Aggie’s house feels like the chaotic home of a struggling writer, and Nile’s suggests a husband who’s become strangely subdued.

The show’s biggest weakness is its supporting characters – they simply aren’t well-developed. Beyond their connection to the main characters, Aggie and Nile, we don’t get a strong sense of who they are as individuals. The show doesn’t need to spell everything out, but it needs to make us feel like these characters have depth, which it doesn’t. Nina Jarvis, played by Brittany Snow, falls into the cliché of a somewhat unstable housewife and her lines are uninspired. David Lyons’ character, Brian Abbot, seemed important at first, but was quickly removed from the story. The most disappointing case, however, is Martin Jarvis. It’s frustrating to see Bill Banks, an actor who delivers such convincing performances, given so little to do in a guest role. More than the mystery of whether Nile killed his wife, viewers were likely wondering when Banks would reappear on screen.

It’s refreshing to see an original show these days, instead of just another remake or spin-off. The Beast in Me probably won’t be a huge hit, and that’s okay. Not every show needs to be groundbreaking. Being a limited series is perfect, because it avoids the usual worry about cancellation – it wouldn’t have lasted long as a regular series anyway, simply because it’s fairly unremarkable. After eight episodes, the best way to describe it is like a book your mom picks up at the airport – enjoyable enough to pass the time, but not particularly memorable.

The Beast in Me premieres November 13 on Netflix.

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2025-11-13 11:07