Flying to the top of Netflix’s charts is this year’s umpteenth murder mystery series, The Beast in Me. But is it a cut above the rest, asks streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

The beast in Me is a new eight-parter that features Homeland star Claire Danes as Annie Wiggs, a once successful author who is plunged into a cat and mouse game worthy of a novel itself.

Unable to write after the unexpected death of her young son, a macabre new form of inspiration strikes Annie when a strange man moves in next door.

Real estate mogul Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys) has gained notoriety for being a prime suspect in the disappearance of his ex-wife.

Initially unnerved, Annie slowly becomes obsessed with this enigmatic figure who now lives one door down, eventually agreeing to write his biography.

But as she dives deeper into his life, her own quickly becomes more endangered.

How does a murder mystery even set itself apart these days?

Type the two words into Google, or any streaming platform, and hundreds of shows will roll out in the results eager for viewer attention. 

For those who aren’t absolutely obsessed with the genre, it takes a special story indeed to get its hooks in and I’m happy to report The Beast in Me does that pretty well.

It’s the interplay between the two main characters which delivers here.

There’s a creepy and crackling chemistry between them and how each transforms the other is what keeps the plot kicking along.

As an extra bit of incentive, this one is produced by Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster.

If she took away any lessons in tension from that masterpiece, the learning is more than applied here.

HBO Max is spicing things up this month with a steamy new French series aiming to amuse and titillate in equal measure.

The Seduction is yet another modern show inspired by the famous 18th century novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

English-speaking audiences might know it better as Dangerous Liaisons or even Cruel Intentions, the name of the 1999 teenage romp that also adapted it.

The Seduction follows Marquise de Merteuil (Anamaria Vartolomei) a cunning courtesan in the Paris aristocracy eager to become the most coveted presence at court.

While some of her male company wield swords and violence as their main weapon in a fight to the top, Merteuil knows seduction is the ultimate tool when it comes to climbing the ladder and getting revenge on the man who dumped her. 

The Seduction is stunningly shot and recreates its era in impressive detail, musing on an age where sexual freedom was so much more tightly buttoned up.

There are six episodes clocking in at around an hour a piece that,  unfortunately, feels just a little too long.

Thirty-minute instalments would be more than enough and would suit the pithy repartee the show is going for.

Still, it’s well worth a try especially for anyone who gets caught up in a good period piece.

A word of warning. The production is in French so this one will require subtitles or an English dub. If that doesn’t bother you then bon appétit.

IT’S around this time of year all the “best-of” lists begin rolling in to highlight the finest shows of 2025.

Well, in stark comparison, this month Disney Plus might just have served up the worst show of the year.

Kim Kardashian stars in this new series called All’s Fair.

It’s about an all-female law firm in Los Angeles with a specialty in divorce law.

It can’t even be called a case of so bad it’s good. The one liners are so cringe inducing it feels like AI might have spat them out.

Naomi Watts, an actress with actual talent, stars alongside Kim K but even she seems to know this script is doomed.

Its reflected in the reviews, with many major publications awarding it zero stars.

In other hands perhaps the premise might have stood a chance, but All’s Fair is little more than a shallow attempt to milk star power for cheap views.

This legal drama, beyond a reasonable doubt, is one to avoid.