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Fatal Attraction review: Bunny-boiling remake lacks teeth

Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan) and Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) in Fatal Attraction. (Paramount+)
Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan) and Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) in Fatal Attraction. (Paramount+)
  • 📺 Where to watch: Paramount+ from 1 May

  • ⭐️ Our rating: 2/5

  • 🍿 Watch it if you liked: You, Castle Rock Season 2, The Affair

  • 🎭 Who's in it?: Joshua Jackson, Lizzy Caplan, Amanda Peet, Alyssa Jirrels 

  • How long is it? 8 x 1-hour episodes (first two available at launch, then weekly thereafter)

Convicted of murder, incarcerated for 15 years, and up for parole, Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) invites his estranged daughter Ellen (Alyssa Jirrels) to attend the hearing — still haunted by the spectre of Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan), and a Fatal Attraction which landed him behind bars.

Nominated for six Oscars back in 1988, Adrian Lyne’s original film raised the currency of A-lister Michael Douglas (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), and propelled Glenn Close (Tehran) into the upper echelons of world class character actors.

Any reboot — even with the original screenwriter James Dearden in tow — is a risky proposition, peppered with potential pitfalls.

Read more: Everything we know about the Fatal Attraction remake

What showrunner Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives) and her Oscar-nominated wingman have concocted here seeks to broaden the debate around mental disorders and workplace coercion, rather than making this story solely about infidelity within a marriage.

Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson), Beth Gallagher (Amanda Peet), and Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan) in Fatal Attraction (Paramount+)
Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson), Beth Gallagher (Amanda Peet), and Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan) in Fatal Attraction (Paramount+)

Fatal Attraction for a new generation feels more like a moral fable, with Deputy District Attorney Dan Gallagher painted as a bastion of restraint. Equal parts doting father and loving husband, with only ambition and the legacy of an over-achieving father there to provide an Achilles heel.

Gone is the illicit liaison and excitement of a one-night stand which so drove the original, only for professional jealousy to provide an equally powerful aphrodisiac in this updated take. There are some key moments which remain, but in the main, both Joshua Jackson (The Affair) and Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman is in Trouble) get to create something unique with these characters.

Read more: Glenn Close reflects on Fatal Attraction character

Although their first physical connection is delayed as long as possible, the eventual consummation creates few on-screen sparks. For two people caught up in the throes of a tawdry affair, there is minimal chemistry between them. If anything, their steamy sessions are the least interesting element of Fatal Attraction, which is unavoidably ironic on so many levels.

Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forest and Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher in Fatal Attraction. (Paramount+)
Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forest and Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher in Fatal Attraction. (Paramount+)

Something else which becomes apparent after two episodes, is how little the present-day drama between Dan and his daughter Ellen means when their reconciliation takes a noticeable back seat.

As a sub-plot designed to give the present-day timeline impetus it feels under-developed and flimsy, whereas those flashback sequences do a solid job of shaping the crucial relationship between Alex and Dan — even if Fatal Attraction increasingly feels like two hours of feature film material stretched over eight.

Elsewhere, Lizzy Caplan might manage to expand on the iconic femme fatale shaped by Glenn Close, but her hands are tied since that all important mental decline is rarely afforded enough screen time. Joshua Jackson also faces struggles of his own filling those Michael Douglas-sized shoes on his way to embodying Dan Gallagher.

Read more: Fatal Attraction's controversial original ending

Other issues which hamper this retelling of the 80s thriller come down to pacing. From the outset, events feel almost pedestrian as they unfold on either timeline. Amanda Peet gets little to no character development as Beth Gallagher, while Toby Huss feels equally short changed as best friend and confidant Mike Gerard. It's a problem which becomes even more pronounced as those pacing issues persist and any tension gets watered down.

Brian Goodman as Arthur Tomlinson, Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher and Amanda Peet as Beth Gallagher in Fatal Attraction. (Paramount+)
Brian Goodman as Arthur Tomlinson, Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher and Amanda Peet as Beth Gallagher in Fatal Attraction. (Paramount+)

What this means for audiences is a lot of waiting around, as furtive glances and teasing eye contact take a long time to gain this show any traction. Some scenes feel truncated, while others serve little narrative purpose and fail to move things along. That inconsistency only makes each episode seem longer than the allotted hour, as audiences will struggle to invest in a show which is mediocre at best.

As transparent plot twists pull back the curtain and strip Alex of her mystique, this show takes another blow which ultimately promotes indifference rather than empathy. Since that inability to connect with people and instead create fictitious friendships, does little to empower this pivotal character.

What other critics thought of Fatal Attraction

The Wrap: Fatal Attraction elevates original premise with more time and nuance (6 min read)

Evening Standard: Lukewarm remake of the bunny boiling classic (4 min read)

For many that will be the biggest let down here, as Lizzy Caplan has proven time and again to be gifted in creating empathy with her audiences. Whether through Annie Wilkes in season two of Castle Rock or elsewhere, the actor possesses an inherent vulnerability and on-screen intelligence which tempers any unpleasant traits. It's a talent she seems unable to draw on here, as those redeeming qualities which are intentionally designed to address a larger issue rarely feel acknowledged.

In fact, such is the degree of disinterest in Fatal Attraction after three hours of television that emotional investment, which is crucial in engaging any audience, leaves this series in dramatic limbo, turning a slick slice of Oscar-nominated writing into a social commentary tale with no teeth.

Fatal Attraction will be available to stream on Paramount+ in the UK from 1 May.