Review: ‘Fatal Attraction’ Seals Its Own Fate as Nonsensical Remake

“I won’t be ignored, Dan…” those dreaded words seal disloyal husband Dan Gallagher’s fate. Who’d have thought Dan was wise to ignore the warning? If only we had followed suit as Fatal Attraction dives deep into a rabbit hole filled with nonsensical remakes.

Thirty-six years ago, Glenn Close had audiences across the globe trembling in fear. Michael Douglas, on the other hand, had them envious of his perfectly coiffed hair – and frustrated beyond belief but semantics, right? The two are a formidable duo. Douglas is embroiled in yet another erotic love affair, while Close expertly preys on and manipulates any fool unfortunate to stumble on her path; both are at their best when unhinged.

Close and Douglas are the driving force behind Fatal Attraction’s iconic status, but it’s the former who takes the trophy when she infamously coined the phrase “bunny boiler” – if you don’t already know, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. The pair left huge shoes to fill should anyone dare succeed them. It’s a bold move, reviving this long-dormant tale. Fans are right to be skeptical as the show distances itself from the source material – whether the execution is successful is a different story.

We open in the present day. A haggard Dan (Joshua Jackson) sits before the parole board atoning for the murder of his mistress Alex (Lizzy Caplan) 15 years earlier. Later, he proclaims his innocence. If it were 1987, we’d be revelling in Dan’s undoing; Douglas’ iteration was a total tool who brought it on himself. Not to mention his Dan is the poster child for smarmy sleaze-bags, so to imagine Joshua Jackson taking on the role is a little discombobulating.

Jackson remains charismatic as ever though, especially when the show flashes back to a pre-Alex timeline. The boyish charm he’s maintained for decades has us fawning once again; one flash of his million-dollar smile and we’re putty in his hands. Jackson’s casting works wonders on getting everyone on Dan’s side this time around, or at least in the courtroom, it does.

Dan has everything going for him with a doting wife in Beth (Amanda Peet) and young daughter Ellen (Vivien Lyra Blair), but it’s his sense of entitlement that lets him down. Toying with Dan’s two-fold personality brings out the best in Jackson’s performance. He holds the room captive; we’re hypnotised by his presence despite the glaring arrogance he bears with pride. We can’t help but find him likeable. Already, we’re questioning whether Dan is truly innocent or if he did deliver the final blow to Alex. It’s a strong start, to say the least.

Any doubts about Jackson in his role are unnecessary. Caplan, on the other hand, does well to reinvent the character but she feels less at home. Where Jackson’s Dan is by no means a victim, Caplan’s Alex isn’t a bonafide villain either. That’s not to say she’s merely a woman scorned by a man’s wrongdoings because Alex’s actions are heinous, maybe more so than her 1987 predecessor’s. An exploration into the character’s past opens a discussion into her motives as we also see the affair from Alex’s point of view. Unfortunately, the material isn’t fleshed out quite as much as we’d hoped, and Caplan’s performance is overshadowed by the effort to vilify Alex.

Individually, Jackson and Caplan do everything they can to broaden their otherwise underdeveloped characters. Sadly, finding chemistry between the two leads is a challenge in its own right. They don’t blend particularly well together. It’s almost excruciating to watch. The tension is uncomfortable, and not because they share the carnal desire that seemed to come naturally to Douglas and Close.

The series doesn’t take long to fall apart either. Irregular pacing becomes a recurring obstacle for the intertwining narrative. Alternating between the perspective of several characters is jarring and negatively impacts the story’s momentum, delaying any progress being made. Fatal Attraction sets itself up as a whodunnit murder mystery; and although we want to know who is responsible for Alex’s death, we find that we don’t actually care by the time the reveal rolls around.

Fatal Attraction is a doomed love affair from the start. The eight-episode thriller is frustratingly underwhelming as everything from suspense to erotica is lost. A desperate need to invoke originality is a nail in the coffin for this Paramount+ show. The 1987 blockbuster lingers in the back of our minds in the same way Alex’s presence looms over her lover. Hey, maybe Dan was right all along; ignorance can be bliss.