Netflix, here in the final leg of the year, premiered a new series that immediately restructured my best-of list for 2025. It pretty much kicked all the titles aside, claiming its spot at the proverbial mountaintop.
I’m talking about The Beast in Me, the taut new psychological thriller that hit Netflix last week. I had seen the title art rolling across my TV screen, but it wasn’t until I heard series star Claire Danes speak about the show on a recent episode of the SmartLess podcast that I decided to give this title a try.
Needless to say, I finished it in three days. Since then, I’ve not been able to shake it from my being. This isn’t a complaint.
The Beast in Me stars Danes as Aggie Wiggs, an author struggling to reclaim literary glory after suffering a family-shattering accident. Her focus at the show’s beginning is on a book about the relationship between Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. However, she’s suffering from a massive case of writer’s block, fueled by a deeply unsettling grief that ultimately drives most of Wiggs’ behavior and actions throughout the series.
Everything changes when Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a polarizing figure in the real estate development world, moves in next door. He’s arrogant and wealthy and someone who thrives on stirring the pot, which is a behavioral trait that throws Aggie off her axis. What’s more is that Nile here is the prime suspect in the death of his first wife, Madison, who went missing six years prior. To get away from the stress of the big city — and the media spotlight regarding his potential guilt in the matter — Nile moves in right down the street from Aggie.
While The Beast in Me is a showcase of Danes and Rhys, the supporting cast is nothing to scoff at.
Brittany Snow, who plays Nile’s second wife, Nina, could’ve been given more to chew on throughout the series, but when she’s on screen, she absolutely delivers. Jonathan Banks effortlessly steps into the Logan Roy-style role of Martin Jarvis, Nile’s gruff, abusive father. David Lyons — whom I immediately recognized from the short-lived CW superhero series The Cape, with unexpected delight — is excellent as tortured FBI agent Brian Abbott. Natalie Morales is fantastic as Aggie’s ex-wife. Shelley and Tim Guinee are a quiet source of terror as Martin’s younger brother, Rick, nicknamed “Wrecking Ball.” Basically, everyone who appears on screen serves the story the best way possible.
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