*Based on episodes 1 to 6*
Nine Perfect Strangers is one major television disappointment.
Based on the novel of the same name by Big Little Lies author Lianne Moriarty, this ensemble piece follows nine troubled characters as they descend on a mysterious wellness spa led by the mysterious Russian health guru, Masha, played by executive producer Nicole Kidman.
Among the strangers are an unhappy author ( Melissa McCarthy ), a former sports star ( Bobby Cannavale ), a spa addict ( Luke Evans ), a grieving teacher ( Michael Shannon ) and his wife ( Asher Keddie ) and daughter (Grace Van Patten), a timid single mother ( Regina Hall ), and married social media influencers (Samara Weaving and Melvin Gregg).
As the group spend more time together their troubled histories emerge, motivations become clear and Marsha’s unorthodox methods of healing the nine guests become ever clearer.
Sadly, despite looking utterly gorgeous with its location and its cinematography capturing the soothing colours and richly warm lighting, Nine Perfect Strangers feels rather surface level and without a true plot and mystery to captivate viewers.
We are aware this spa is supposed to be sinister but we don’t get offered enough atmosphere or weird moments to keep us captivated and coming back for more.
The overall plot moves at a snail’s pace which would be fine if the character drama felt strong but most of the cast’s strong performance fail to translate the thinly-written personalities into genuinely magnetic figures.
All are credible and well-judged, but sadly only McCarthy shines here as the neurotic writer full of anxiety and dread for her future. Cannavale also makes a fun sparring partner with McCarthy but only really gets a chance to captivate in their scenes together.
Even Kidman appears to be on an altogether camper and fun show entirely with her questionably chaotic Russian accent and often cartoonish demeanour that would not be out of place on a Ryan Murphy production.
Meanwhile, the beautiful locations in Australia which double for California sights make a beautiful backdrop to these often beautiful people having beautiful problems but the twists are lacking, the atmosphere sparse and the premise rather weak.
There was real room here to explore trauma, fragility, identity and sexuality here in a satirical and charismatic fashion but altogether this feels shallow despite the supposedly contemplative pace.
Ultimately, despite her success behind and in front of the camera with Big Little Lies and The Undoing, Nicole Kidman has not found a winner in Nine Perfect Strangers.
Still, the opening titles and theme song don't fail to impress.
Verdict
Nine Perfect Strangers boasts a wonderful cast that is sadly under-utilised within a series lacking both plot content and atmosphere. We wish we were seeing something on whatever wavelength Nicole Kidman's performance is on.
*The first three episodes of Nine Perfect Strangers launches on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 20 th August with new episodes launching weekly.
