The Beast In Me brings out the best in Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys
In Netflix's disturbing thriller, two neighbors engage in a relentless tug-of-war.
Photo: Netflix
The Beast In Me keeps Agatha “Aggie” Wiggs (Claire Danes) in consistent crisis mode. Her palpable distress stems from her quiet, lonely life being upended by a new neighbor, who pushes her out of her comfort zone and into deadly chaos. Created by The X-Files‘ Gabe Rotter, this limited series reunites showrunner Howard Gordon with Homeland‘s Danes. The resulting thriller, much like Showtime’s award-winning series, also acts as an intricate character study of its lead duo. Aggie, a once-famous author, resides in the big house she used to share with her ex-wife and their pre-teen son. After his death a few years ago, Aggie’s marriage and desire to write fell apart. Haunted by her past and holding on to her rage closely, she’s susceptible to the charms of smug real-estate mogul Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), who moves in next door with enough baggage to torpedo both of their lives. Through their bewildering cat-and-mouse chase, The Beast In Me delivers an unflinching two-hander.
Netflix’s drama relies almost entirely on the invigorating tête-à-têtes between these two, who are more similar than they anticipated. She’s shocked to discover some of her most primal urges reflected in a man accused of murdering his missing wife. (“You’ve got bloodlust; I can smell it,” he tells her over a fancy meal.) As for Nile, he’s elated to find a seemingly true friend in Aggie despite their rocky start, after she denied him permission to build a jogging track in the woods behind their gated Oyster Bay homes. So he agrees when she proposes that Nile be the subject of her next book. It’s a win-win: She can get over her writer’s block, and, crucially, he can give his side of the story after negative media coverage. And then all hell breaks loose. The man responsible for the car crash that killed Aggie’s son suddenly disappears. Did Niles do something sinister to get in the good graces of his pal? Or did a frustrated Aggie finally act out? And what really happened to Nile’s wife?
Commendably, The Beast In Me doesn’t weave a labyrinthine suspense over these questions. The guessing games remain straightforward yet engaging, with answers served on a platter early into its eight-episode run thanks to the involvement of David Lyons’ disgruntled FBI agent. This isn’t a whodunit or even a how-they-did-it. Instead, the show crafts an enticing look into Aggie and Nile and why they’re drawn into this complex web. Perhaps it’s because they can only open up to each other, considering Aggie’s spouse (played by an underused Natalie Morales) left her and Nile doesn’t put his guard down with his new partner, Nina (Brittany Snow, ending 2025 on a high note after The Hunting Wives and The Night Agent). Or maybe it’s because, like Aggie, Nile’s career is in limbo, as his major Manhattan development, Jarvis Yards, faces opposition from a thinly-sketched politician (portrayed by Aleyse Shannon). Or the reason could simply be that the neighbors are skilled at manipulation.
