Leave it to Netflix to wait until the end of the year to premiere a new psychological thriller that won't get out of my head. This show, after a three-day binge, restructured my best-of list for 2025. Now, it's basically this series and Pluribus vying for the top spot. Yeah, I said it.
The thriller I've not been able to shake is The Beast in Me, the new drama starring Claire Danes that premiered on Netflix three weeks ago. I had seen the title art rolling across my TV screen, but it wasn't until I heard Danes talk about the show on a recent episode of the SmartLess podcast that I decided to give it a try. Well, I'm sure glad I did.
In The Beast in Me, Danes plays Aggie Wiggs, an author struggling with a debilitating case of writer's block. This is mostly due to a family-shattering accident that has left her buried in grief. Her focus at the show's beginning is on a book about the relationship between Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. However, as she quickly realizes, that topic is simply boring.
Everything changes when Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a polarizing figure in the real estate development world, moves in next door. He's arrogant and wealthy, and someone who thrives on stirring the pot, a behavioral trait that throws Aggie off her axis. What's more is that Nile is the prime suspect in the death of his first wife, Madison, who went missing six years prior. To get away from the stress of the big city -- and the media spotlight regarding his potential guilt in the matter -- Nile moves in right down the street from Aggie.
David Lyons stars in The Beast in Me. Netflix
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Soon, the thought enters her head: Should she write a book about this man? Moreover, can she get insight about his wife's disappearance and, potentially, a confession that he did, in fact, murder her?
I'm sure you can see where this is going. She ditches the RBG book and focuses her attention on Nile Jarvis, which leads the duo to form a dysfunctional friendship while she works with the FBI behind his back to prove his guilt. To say more would require me to delve into the story spoilers that make this show so riveting. So, instead, let's focus on what makes The Beast in Me such a top-tier thriller and, in my opinion, one of Netflix's best shows of the year.
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