The Undoing (2020)

The series is a highly entertaining and competently made crime drama with a compelling mystery, despite the distracting casting of major stars. It plays it safe with familiar plot devices but delivers solid television.

The critic praises the stellar performances of Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman in this gripping thriller about a wealthy couple unraveling after a murder. Director Susanne Bier and writer David E Kelley are noted for their portraits of privileged lives in freefall.

The critic finds themselves hooked on this glossy drama exposing the dark underbelly of privilege, praising Hugh Grant's charismatic performance as the suspect husband alongside strong supporting turns.

The series offers a detailed and often vulgar portrayal of New York's elite, with strong performances from Kidman and Grant anchoring the central couple. It builds tension effectively through domestic scenes and twists in the murder mystery.

The critic describes a chilly, prestige-suspense thriller with fine acting, moody atmosphere, and a seductive mystery that pulls viewers in despite its frigid tone and limited depth on class and character interiority. It notes the show has potential to be more substantive but still offers engaging escapism set in pre-pandemic New York.

The Undoing is an always watchable murder mystery with strong direction and performances, but it never becomes fully gripping or reaches the level suggested by the talent involved. It is engaging rather than engrossing, with Kelley’s scheming keeping viewers guessing.

The critic notes that Grant and Kidman deliver reliably but finds the series struggles to reconcile its sharp satirical elements with the demands of a conventional thriller, lacking the distinctive voice of Big Little Lies.

The series is ably acted and handsomely made, with Bier’s direction effective in psychological thriller moments and Kidman delivering a strong performance. It raises interesting issues of privilege but ultimately glosses over them and devolves into clichés.

The show is limp, generic and dispiritingly bad despite the talent involved, with only enough story for a feature film and a glacially paced, frustratingly scattered narrative. It is one of the most disappointing shows of the year.

The series is described as addictive yet a tad predictable, with strong performances from Kidman and Grant and effective direction by Bier. It is a worthy prestige limited series entry despite some familiar tropes.

The critic calls it a glossy, addictive mystery with strong performances from the all-star cast and effective direction by Susanne Bier that delivers pace and edge. It singles out the satisfying escapism of watching privileged elites toppled and the compelling grip-lit structure with frequent cliffhangers.

The critic calls it a must-watch miniseries with compelling leads in Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Susanne Bier's direction turns New York into an icy gothic landscape, aided by strong supporting turns and playful original music.

The Undoing is a derivative and underwhelming echo of Big Little Lies that fails to deliver an absorbing story or tonal payoff despite its high-profile cast and director. The critic singles out Hugh Grant’s deconstruction of his rom-com persona for praise amid the show’s dour self-seriousness and slow pacing.