Nine Perfect Strangers

An all-star cast check into a highly exclusive health spa in Amazon drama Nine Perfect Strangers. In just ten days, the mysterious Russian matriarch (played by a devilish Nicole Kidman) who runs the programme promises that each of the nine guests will be transformed into a whole new version of themselves. However, the spa’s unorthodox treatments, coupled with all the talk of metamorphosis, suggest that there could be something sinister at play. 

The opening two episodes of this latest series are all about establishing its central premise; however, it doesn’t give anything away just yet. The Amazon release looks to be a slow-burn mystery that’s settling itself in for the long game. Anything could happen at this point, and the opening gets enough right to spark audience curiosity.

As is the case whenever a group of complete strangers converge in media, the core cast is an amalgamation from different walks of life. There’s upbeat schoolteacher Napoleon (Michael Shannon), who arrives with his wife (Asher Keddie) and daughter (Grace Van Patten), alongside a young, wealthy couple going through a bump in their marriage (Melvin Gregg and Samara Weaving). And then there’s the hot-headed Tony (Bobby Cannavale), the socially awkward Carmel (Regina Hall), and the cynical Lars (Luke Evans), who appears to be at the spa for ulterior reasons. Finally, Melissa McCarthy plays a once successful author whose career and personal life have began to fall apart.

Each of the actors invest a lot of energy into their performances and bounce well off one another. McCarthy and Cannavale are a particular highlight at this early stage, with their turbulent relationship already developing nuanced layers that compliment each of the actors. Though she’s best known for her zany comic outings, it’s great to see McCarthy given the chance to dig deeper into her character and produce something more special. If the cast are already producing performances this engaging so early in the game, one can only imagine what heights they’ll be taken to when the series starts to hit its stride.

It’s difficult to say much about Amazon’s latest after only the opening episodes because it leaves so much in the air. But a collection of engaging performances from the central cast and a tantalising air of mystique ensure viewers will be revisiting this strange spa for the next chapter. 

Andrew Murray

Nine Perfect Strangers is released on Amazon Prime Video on 20^th August 2021.

Watch the trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers here: