His & Hers season 1 review: Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal bring the heat in dangerous Netflix thriller

His & Hers is out now for you and me and, from the beginning, it’s a reduce above the standard Harlan Coben drivel that Netflix likes to hawk each January.

Primarily based on Alice Feeney’s deliciously darkish, twisty novel, this equally darkish, twisty present throws Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal collectively in a heated sport of cat and mouse. Heated due to the swampy setting and in addition as a result of the pair share dangerously good chemistry.

The primary episode begins with the brutal homicide of an nameless girl. It’s an unlucky trope that kicks off far too many thrillers of this sort, however the ensuing plot is best than you would possibly count on from the setup.

A yr after she deserted her life within the wake of non-public trauma, former information anchor Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson) returns to her dwelling city of Dahlonega to analyze the case and revitalise her profession. Anna’s ageing mom Alice (Crystal Fox) is delighted to see her return, however ex-hubby Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal)? Not a lot.

The primary episode teases out the true nature of their relationship and what drove them aside, dropping hints with out spelling the whole lot out unexpectedly. That must be the norm, however sadly I discover this refreshing at a time when Netflix originals exit of their solution to clarify the whole lot for folks half-watching whereas on their cellphone.

Those that are paying consideration, nonetheless, will rapidly decide up on the truth that Jack’s connection to the sufferer, Rachel Hopkins (Jamie Tisdale), is a regarding one. And Jack is aware of it too, utilizing his sway as a detective to cowl his tracks and throw everybody else off the scent. Anna isn’t shopping for it although, and fellow detective Priya Patel (Sunita Mani) additionally begins to suspect one thing could be amiss. However are they heading in the right direction?

Because the humidity thickens and our bodies pile up, His & Hers grows an increasing number of claustrophobic for the characters and viewers alike. There’s a continuing stress that’s compounded by the clock ticking all through, in addition to fraught racial politics that bubble up because the six episodes progress.   

Director William Oldroyd (Woman Macbeth, Eileen) shoots small city Atlanta with a watch for its seedy underbelly, additional elevating the look of this present in ways in which recurring Netflix thriller watchers may not be used to. Good visuals additionally come within the type of Bernthal’s muscular torso which unessentially seems greater than as soon as. That’s not all that intrigues although. 

A homicide thriller is simply pretty much as good as its listing of suspects and it seems Dahlonega is filled with larger-than-life characters you’ll wish to spend extra time with. From Mani’s detective and a sassy physician to Jack’s difficult sister Zoe (Marin Eire) and Rachel’s husband Clyde (Chris Bauer), His & Hers parades countless oddballs who often animate this darkish city with touches of levity.

But there’s at all times a way of not understanding who it’s best to belief, and that features the present itself, which intentionally misleads at each flip. Even the 2 protagonists come below suspicion as we be taught extra of their true connection to one another and the victims. 

Thompson is as easy as at all times, bringing her steely will and a understanding smirk to Anna. The identical goes for Bernthal who imbues Jack with that nervy, high-strung anger he does so nicely. It’s value noting that his detective right here is much less poisonous and rage-filled than a few of his different signature roles, even when Jack does wield his masculinity as a software, or perhaps a weapon, when it fits.

Shout out to the casting division who seemingly travelled again in time to seek out Kristen Maxwell, the actress who performs a pitch-perfect youthful Thompson. 

Nonetheless, His & Hers isn’t precisely working at HBO ranges of status, irrespective of how a lot the solid would possibly impress, and there’s a way that Thompson and Bernthal, particularly, are a bit too good for the fabric. There’s nothing right here you haven’t seen earlier than, together with periodic flashbacks that trace at darker secrets and techniques nonetheless lurking, but to come back to gentle. 

As you’d count on, the flashbacks change into an increasing number of related to what’s happening within the current day, feeding into every twist till some actual doozies hit within the final two episodes. And that’s what we’re right here for, proper? Why else would you be watching this if not for the twists (and torsos)?

Issues get fairly wild, I gained’t mislead you, however even at its most absurd, the present pulls you again in because of the solid who nearly make all of it appear plausible. The writing does push these limits, nonetheless, and there are a few twists close to the top which may show divisive. 

Simply do not forget that “there are at the least two sides to each story,” as Anna places it early on. And pay shut consideration to those voiceovers, as clunky as they could appear at first, as a result of “somebody is at all times mendacity” – and it may not be the particular person you assume.

Do you have to watch His & Hers?

Mix a status solid with beach-read twists and also you’ve obtained your self an honest sufficient thriller to heat you up this January. You may do rather a lot worse on Netflix, *cough Harlan Coben cough*, so cosy on up with Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal if you happen to’re on the lookout for one thing a bit harmful to look at.