The Beast in Me is an American psychological crime-thriller miniseries on Netflix. Premiering November 13, 2025, the series features a standout cast including Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys.
The series follows an author who begins writing a book about her new next-door neighbor, a real estate executive suspected of killing his wife.
Both Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys deliver outstanding performances, and the supporting cast, including Brittany Snow as Jarvis’s new wife, along with the actors playing his father, uncle, the FBI agent, and the councilwoman, bring real emotional depth to the story. The series is intense, layered, and rich in character development, making it incredibly binge-worthy.
Matthew Rhys, as the co-lead, is pitch perfect as a narcissistic sociopath; his character’s charm makes him all the more unsettling. Claire Danes’ character is equally compelling, you truly feel for her as a grieving mother who is divorced, struggling with writer’s block, and down on her luck. Her decision to write a book about the antagonist’s life is both desperate and brilliant, and you find yourself rooting for her to succeed.
However, there are a few faults worth pointing out.
Firstly, although Claire Danes’s performance was strong overall, there were a few scenes where I wished she had relaxed a bit more. She spends much of the series in a constant state of heightened stress, fear, grief, and anger, and it would have been refreshing to see moments where her character felt more at ease. I understand that Danes is known for her trademark ability to portray strained, neurotic characters, but a glimpse of her “softer” side would have added another layer of depth.
Secondly, the pacing felt slow and a bit stretched; the story easily could have been told in six episodes instead of eight. Additionally, the narrative would have benefited from a deeper focus on the lead character, her past, her personal struggles, and why she’s estranged from her father. Instead, the series places much more emphasis on Jarvis’s background, which leaves her arc feeling somewhat underdeveloped.
Thirdly, the FBI agent, Wiggs, and his fascination with Jarvis never felt entirely credible. His obsession seemed forced and unexplained until episode 7, when it’s finally revealed that he had a romantic rendezvous with Jarvis’s wife, information that would have strengthened his arc had it been introduced earlier.
Overall, The Beast in Me is a solid and engaging series on Netflix, despite a few narrative missteps.
