Toward the end of the year, Netflix dropped a psychological thriller that became an instant obsession of mine. I ate it up in three days, and once I finished the show, it became one of my faves of 2025.
If you can't tell from the above image, the show I'm talking about is The Beast in Me, the drama starring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys. When the show dropped, I noticed the title art rolling across my TV screen, but paid it no mind. Then, I heard Danes talk about the show on a recent episode of the Smartless podcast, and I decided to give it a try. Well, I'm sure glad I did.
I'm not alone in the fandom. On Tuesday, Netflix shared its viewer engagement report for the second half of 2025, and this series ranked high on the streamer's list of the year's most-watched series (in the top 20). That's saying a lot, considering it premiered in November.
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 (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.
Claire Danes stars in The Beast in Me on Netflix. 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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