NINETOES VS. CAPE FEAR (THE SERIES)

Ninetoes and his wife plunged into APPLE+’s Cape Fear, and the weekly question came up…is there a new one tonight?

A happily married couple faces a growing threat when a notorious killer from their past, Max Cady, is released from prison and seeks revenge.

Created by Nick Antosca

Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, Javier Bardem

Show Length: 10 episodes/ 56 minutes each

Hey there, television lovers. It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today I am looking at the APPLE TV+ show, Cape Fear. I have coffee in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

I am going to tell you at the outset, this is not the Cape Fear you know and love. This is a Cape Fear for a new generation. But the question becomes, does it work?

We have the traditional elements of the original story. Max Cady has a grudge against Sam Bowden, only this time it is not only Sam, but his wife Anna. The couple were court room adversaries in the case of Max Cady for the murder of his wife and son. Anna was his attorney, and Sam was the prosecutor. The couple fell in love during the trial, and married soon after. Max Cady went away for life…or so it seems. Now he is back, but he says he is not bitter; he just wants to be friends. Now, if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. Pretty soon, the Bowden’s lives, including their children Natalie (Lily Collias) and Zac (Joe Anders), are caught up in a web of lies and revenge that could wipe out the whole family.

At the root of this show is family. The Bowden family and Max Cady’s family, but not just Cady’s wife and son; in this one we meet his father Robert (Ron Pearlman), his sister Crystal (Juliette Lewis), his daughter Neveah (Malia Pyles), and brother Luke (Max Mattern). This family is something else, like off the scales entirely. When you meet this family, Max never really stood a chance.

The running theme in this series is secrets and lies. EVERYONE has a secret, and just about everyone is lying in this show. It can become overwhelming, but just sit back and watch. Everything plays out to a satisfactory conclusion all around. Each week, my wife and I were left guessing which secret was going to come out and who was going to get nailed in what lie, and that was half the fun. There are quite a few “Oh, no they didn’t” moments to be had.

There is one thing I did notice, and this may be major props to the makeup staff, but as each episode passed, Sam and Anna’s veneer of perfection became less and less, and towards the end, they looked as if they were wearing their sins for all the world to see. Now, one could argue that they are looking harrowed from their ordeal, but I encourage you to look at it through the eyes of peeling an onion. Open an onion, and your eyes water and the world looks a bit skewed. These people are having their onion peeled back for all the world to see, and like the Portrait of Dorian Grey, they are wearing their mistakes on their face.

The writing is good. What happens here is the creators, going in with the intent of a series, took a simple revenge tale an injected it with family dynamics on both sides, as well as an overextended blast of good vs evil to the point that the lines became blurred on both sides. Before the final episode of the season, my wife and I watched Martin Scorsese’s classic 1991 film of the same title, and she came away liking the movie better than the show. The main reason is that it was more of a simple story to follow. In a way, I can agree, but then again, I am partial to Martin Scorsese’s films. As stated before, this is a Cape Fear for a new generation.

One thing I have noticed between the three Cape Fear versions is a bridge to what has come before it. 1991’s version brought the music, and three of the actors from the 1962 version. This series followed suit by using the same theme music and bringing Juliette Lewis on board as Cady’s sister (she was the daughter, Danielle, in the 1991 version). For me, this was a masterstroke! Her performance was award-worthy!

I liked this version of Cape Fear. That is about the level I can give it. It got bogged down in the story too much at times, and added more characters than necessary, but in the end, it was an enjoyable viewing experience. Now that all of the episodes are out, it can easily be binged in a weekend.

Until the next time, I bid you happy viewing!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.