When Netflix premiered the trailer for The Perfect Couple, a classic eat-the-rich murder mystery featuring Nicole Kidman, Meghann Fahy, and Dakota Fanning, social media erupted with excitement. The miniseries, adapted from a novel by Elin Hilderbrand, follows Greer Garrison Winbury, portrayed by Kidman, who is a controlling and etiquette-obsessed matriarch of her affluent family. Greer blends the personalities of iconic characters like Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives, Lisa Vanderpump from Real Housewives, and Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones, making her a character that resonates strongly with gay audiences.
However, while watching The Perfect Couple, one can’t shake the sensation of having encountered this narrative before. Kidman has become synonymous with the “wealthy white woman in crisis” trope through roles in popular series like Big Little Lies and The Undoing, leading to a pitch for the show that succinctly states, “Rich family. Dead body. Nicole Kidman.” Greer’s extravagant wardrobe and accent—one of many amusing elements in the show—give off an air tailored to engage the online community.
The trend of feeling like many upcoming projects echo previous works continues, as seen with Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, a gay romance set in 1940s Mexico featuring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey that premiered at the Venice Film Festival. There’s also anticipation for two A24 films: Marty Supreme, a Ping-Pong movie starring Timothée Chalamet alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mother Mary, a “pop melodrama” with Anne Hathaway singing songs by Charli XCX and Jack Antonoff. Despite the promising prospects of these films, there’s concern that marketing strategies might overshadow genuine quality. Studios seem adept at crafting viral content, yet success on social media doesn’t always yield artistic merit.
While The Perfect Couple is undoubtedly entertaining and effectively maintains suspense, it suffers from some notable flaws. Fahy’s talents, showcased in HBO’s The White Lotus, feel underused, and the show’s seaside backdrop and narrative format echo Big Little Lies, suggesting a lack of originality. The dialogue sometimes comes off as overly dramatic, reminiscent of poorly constructed scripts.
Predictability permeates the character roles— the unfaithful husband, the arrogant brother, the tortured sibling, the glamorous murder victim, and the tough detective—indicating a reliance on familiar tropes. Even the character of Greer’s sharp-witted wedding planner has little new to offer, recycling a performance pattern seen in previous ensemble casts.
This trend of “algorithmic casting,” where projects appear manifestly created for social media appeal, is not new. Hollywood has a history of following box office hits with similar themes. However, there is an emerging concern that modern productions are overly designed for instant social media impact, running the risk of being mere engagement bait. This was first noted in the trailer for I Care a Lot, which felt more like a call-back to Rosamund Pike’s memorable role in Gone Girl rather than a standalone narrative.
Online discourse around casting has transformed as well, with audiences eagerly discussing potential actors for ensemble films, which often leads to memes about casting choices, as seen with films like Glass Onion and Barbie. This shift underscores how casting has moved from industry insider topics to mainstream fan engagement.
While many participate in this fervor, it raises concerns about the superficial nature of such typecasting, especially when it disproportionately affects women and people of color. The story’s protagonist, Greer, experiences creative stagnation, recycling similar novels for eager readers despite their declining quality—a parallel that echoes Kidman’s own career choices.
In The Perfect Couple, characters celebrate a flash mob on the beach to Meghan Trainor’s “Criminal.” This scene encapsulates the feeling of watching content crafted to satisfy a temporary social media craving rather than fostering deeper engagement. The journey of discovering quality art often leads to pieces that surprise and exceed expectations, as proven by the success of Challengers, which emerged as a standout film this year despite initial impressions.
Ultimately, while The Perfect Couple may achieve fleeting popularity on Netflix, it falls short of delivering a lasting impact. The talent involved deserves a richer narrative, but it underscores the troubling trend of audiences being served overly familiar content rather than innovative storytelling.