The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘Behind Her Eyes’ offers eerie chills
There’s nothing quite like a suspenseful series to keep you warm during the winter season.
In the latest addition to Netflix’s page-to-screen adaptation lineup, the streaming giant released the twisty and chilling thriller “Behind Her Eyes.”
Having read the book a few years ago, I was curious how Netflix was going to present its adaptation without giving away the big reveal too early on in the show.
The series, based on the novel by Sarah Pinborough, tells the story of Louise, a single mother who has a fun night out with a man that ends in a kiss that causes the man to abruptly flee.
It’s only the following day that Louise arrives at work to discover that her new boss, David, is the very man she was locking lips with the night before — and she quickly realizes he’s married.
Louise later bumps into David’s lonely wife, Adele, in the street and reluctantly finds herself Adele’s new pal.
Louise is concerned about the odd nature of David and Adele’s marriage, and she quickly becomes trapped in a web of lies when she agrees to keep her friendship with Adele a secret from David, all while carrying out an affair with her boss behind her new friend’s back.
As the series progresses, viewers quickly note that not all things are as they appear. David and Adele’s marriage is anything but happy, but the two maintain their marital facade at the risk of revealing a dark secret.
As the plot unravels before the viewer, Netflix carefully constructs the story to avoid revealing the big plot twist too soon. This leaves the audience grasping to understand the strange cat and mouse game Louise is playing with David and Adele.
Dripping with suspense and eerie scenes, viewers will find themselves puzzled by secrets Adele keeps and the lengths she’ll go to keep her husband beneath her thumb.
Eve Hewson, as Adele, steals the spotlight as she plays the unsettling and calculating character brilliantly. Hewson’s physical acting easily creates an ominous atmosphere as she manipulates David and Louise through her mind games.
Simona Brown crafts Louise into a vibrant and hopeful character and portrays her with a dexterity that prevents Louise from coming across as a gullible figure.
“Behind Her Eyes” is a limited series with one season available on Netflix. The drama is rated TV-MA. Viewers looking for more eerie dramas might also enjoy Netflix’s perplexing drama “What/If,” starring Renée Zellweger.