HOLLYWOOD—I must admit I found myself captivated with the AppleTV series “Cape Fear” that is a remake of the 1962 classic starring Gregory Peck, that was later remade in the 90s by director Martin Scorsese starring Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange and Nick Nolte. This new version stars Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson and Javier Bardem.
Now if we’re talking about unhinged villains, I might have to give that to De Niro because his Max Cady was just terrifying to watch on the screen. I give major kudos to Bardem because while his character is campy, he still pushing the boundaries in a scary way. However, with the decision to make the series a mini movie it allowed for a ton of development when it comes to the characters including Cady (Bardem), Anna Bowden (Amy Adams) and Tom Bowden (Patrick Wilson).
I enjoyed that the series didn’t follow a similar narrative to what the previous films did. There are skeletons about Anna and Tom that slowly come to the surface. For starters, there is major secrecy as it pertains to Natalie’s (Lily Collias) paternity. Anna convinces her daughter she knows who her father is, but the penultimate episode and the finale proved to deliver a shocker, where SPOILER ALERT: Natalie is Max’s daughter! Yeah, I didn’t see that coming and it made things interesting.
How so? Max the entire series was hoping to reunite or seek vengeance for his fiancé and child that were murdered years early at his hands apparently which led to him being sent to prison. Not quite because it later turns up that Max DID NOT murder his fiancé and their unborn child, someone very close to Max’s orbit did so. Not to mention that child that Max was so certain was dead was very much alive and closer to home than he ever imagined.
Max gets the upper hand on his former attorney and the prosecutor more times than I can count. Anna is held captive and near death, Tom is actually framed for a murder he did not commit. Natalie is jailed for attempted murder and Zack (Joe Anders) finds himself committed to a mental institution to prevent any additional self-harm.
With the walls closing in on the family, Anna nabbed some crucial evidence that is vital to her family being freed from Max’s clutches. I’m trying to do my best here not to spoil things because the twists and turns are exciting to say the least, as Max discovers things that he could never imagine.
What is so enjoyable about Max Cady as a villain is his tact, his cunning capabilities and the deception that you think you can spot, but you as a viewer you don’t understand how much he has been thinking about exacting his vengeance until you see those things start to play out. There were moments watching this finale where I told myself, OMG, one of these key characters is about to die and it’s going to be gruesome when it unfolds. The musical score for this series is fantastic as it completes sets the mood for a thriller that is going to get under your skin and leave you hooked.
Now, I must admit if you’re seeing the 1962 original or 1991 remake, you’re going to have an idea of things that will unfold. So, are you going to be completely shocked? No, but if you are one of the lucky ones who don’t know much about the original or the remake you are indeed in for a treat with fantastic performances by Bardem, Adams and Wilson. I was one of those watching the series from week to week, but for those who love a great binge, the entire “Cape Fear” mini-movie series is not available on AppleTV.
Written By LaDale Anderson
