So here we are again in another lockdown and what better way to spend it than with another binge worthy series with a mysterious plot, an all star cast all set in a luxurious setting? Nine Perfect Strangers is an elegant, gripping untangling of the lives of a varied array of people, not only exposing their darkest secrets but also of the resort itself.

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Based on The New York Times bestselling book from Australian author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers is set at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation, nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort’s director Masha (Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.

 

I kinda expected Nine Perfect Strangers to be this whodunnit murder mystery, the kind that have dominated the streaming scene for the last couple of years, but it takes those expectations and glorious dumps them on their head. It’s a slow burner, deftly and gradually developing the nine main characters, as well as those of the resort workers, through circumstances and confessions.

 

As well as the character revelations that add to the suspense, intrigue and addictive nature of Nine Perfect Strangers there are also a couple of other threats, which I won’t spoil, that hang over proceedings. This adds another layer to the mysterious web that begins to be spun over successive episodes, slowly sucking us in. 

 

In recent memory I can’t remember a cast of a TV show filled with such A listers and acting calibre. And with this kinda star talent on display the series oozes with sophistication and gravitas in every scene. You’d be hard pressed to find a star player amongst such illustrious company but the youngest and least known star Grace Van Patten gives an incredibly memorable performance. 

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Nine Perfect Strangers is an elegant, gripping untangling of the lives of a varied array of people, not only exposing their darkest secrets but also of the resort itself.