--- title: "The Undoing: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-undoing/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-undoing" critics_score: 62 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Undoing (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 62 from 13 reviews: 8 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like The Undoing, and they like the same things. Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman carry almost every review: Grant for turning his rom-com charm into something slippery, Kidman for holding the centre while the marriage comes apart. Susanne Bier’s direction gets steady credit for pace, cliffhangers and a cold, glossy Manhattan, and several reviews admit to being hooked whether or not they think the show earns it. The reservations cluster on the writing. Even admirers call it familiar, and the mixed reviews say David E Kelley raises questions about wealth and privilege and then drops them for thriller mechanics. The Independent and The Ringer both measure it against Big Little Lies and find it a lesser echo. The spread is wide: solid fours at the top, a middle that calls it watchable rather than gripping, and one dismissal from The Hollywood Reporter, which finds only a feature film’s worth of story stretched thin. ## Radio Times Rating 4/5. 25 October 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. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-undoing-review-sky-atlantic/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/26/the-undoing-review-hugh-grant-and-nicole-kidman-start-to-unravel) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-undoing-review-the-dark-underbelly-of-privilege-im-hooked-bhvn5rp06) ## The i Paper — Emily Baker Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-undoing-review-sky-atlantic-hbo-nicole-kidman-hugh-grant-738576) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2020/10/the-undoing-on-hbo-review.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/the-undoing/) ## The Independent — Ed Cumming Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-undoing-review-hugh-grant-nicole-kidman-hbo-b1344933.html) ## Variety — Caroline Framke Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/tv/reviews/the-undoing-review-nicole-kidman-hugh-grant-1234799230/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Inkoo Kang Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-undoing-tv-review-4074993/) ## Collider — Jeff Sneider Rating B+. 12 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-undoing-review-hbo-nicole-kidman-hugh-grant/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 4/5. 25 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-undoing-review-classy-thriller-with-an-all-star-cast/) ## NME — Dan Seddon Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/the-undoing-review-2786029) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/27/tv/hbo-the-undoing-review-nicole-kidman-hugh-grant) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-undoing.md