The Killing Kind review: Colin Morgan in fresh spin on Fatal Attraction
Emma Appleton plays a lawyer in an uneasy alliance with her own stalker.
Earlier this year, Paramount Plus remade notorious '80s thriller Fatal Attraction as a miniseries. Despite enlisting the brilliant Lizzy Caplan (in the role originated by Glenn Close), it was borderline unwatchable.
It's interesting, then, that – a little over four months later – the very same streamer is dropping another stalker-themed psychological drama, which is infinitely more engaging, although risks being overlooked without its precursor's punchy name recognition.
The Killing Kind unravels a complicated web of deception, with defence lawyer Ingrid Lewis (Emma Appleton) at the centre. She's rocked by the sudden loss of a beloved friend and colleague, believing the circumstances of her demise to be suspicious.
Fuelling her paranoia is the re-emergence of John Webster (Colin Morgan), a former client-turned-secret-lover, whose interest in her took a turn for the pathological about a year earlier.
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Indeed, there are times when The Killing Kind appears to be having fun presenting a gender-flipped version of Fatal Attraction.
One such moment is when John appears without warning at the home of Ingrid and her fiancé, Mark (Elliot Barnes-Worrell), echoing one of the most memorable scenes from the 1987 hit. Morgan is suitably intense in the role, albeit closer to Robert Pattinson's brooding Bruce Wayne than the regrettably hysterical characterisation of Close's Alex Forrest.
That said, its important to note that this series does stand apart from its influences. The story, adapted by Zara Hayes and Jonathan AH Stewart (from a novel by Jane Casey), blends its twisted romance with a genuinely intriguing murder-mystery subplot, which succeeds in making you question your sanity – just as Ingrid does as she ponders placing her trust in John once more.
The writers neatly arrange the twists and reveals to ensure each episode has a few surprises in store, making this an effortless binge.
But while the narrative is sturdy, the characters leave something to be desired.
Emma Appleton gives a fine performance in the lead role, but Ingrid is written to be neither sympathetic nor particularly believable. It's staggering that she would ever have ended up with John, who, despite being acquitted of abuse allegations in an early flashback, continues to act like a giant, anthropomorphic red flag.
The show is quick to point out that love rival Mark isn't perfect himself, but there's still no contest over who you'd rather trust with your house keys.
If you're willing to suspend your disbelief, her sequence of utterly absurd life choices achieve their purpose of building suspense. But this lack of subtlety holds The Killing Kind back from feeling like a true prestige drama, instead relegating it to a category of more frivolously entertaining fare.
That's not a deal breaker, by the way. In fact, if you're looking for a competent thriller – the streaming equivalent of an airport novel – you could do far worse than this.
The Killing Kind is streaming on Paramount Plus from Thursday 7th September 2023. Get a seven-day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
