If you’re not familiar with the story of Cape Fear after the two films we’ve had – one from J. Lee Thompson in 1962 and another from Martin Scorsese in 1991 – you may have seen it all play out in Cape Feare, one of the greatest episodes of The Simpsons ever made. If not, this new Apple TV adaptation will soon get you up to speed, even with some big changes. This is a major affair too for the streaming service, with Amy Adams, Javier Bardem and Patrick Wilson leading the cast, and both Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese on board as executive producers.

Based on both previous films and John D. MacDonald’s novel The Executioners, this adaptation introduces us to the almost idyllic life of attorneys Anna and Tom Bowden, the former being interviewed in their lavish home for a feature on her work in helping those wrongfully convicted be freed from prison. You can sense the pride Anna takes in both her work and the life built with her family, something that will soon start to take a battering as events unfold. News of a prisoner’s release soon sends shock waves through the Bowden household, and this is when Cape Fear starts to really kick into gear. 

Max Cady (Bardem) is a man with a score to settle, with Amy Bowden (Adams)  having been his defence attorney and Tom Bowden (Wilson) being the prosecutor for a crime he believes he’s innocent of. Their reunion at the end of the first episode is worth the wait, joyfully eerie as Bardem revels in the creepy personality of the character. Think the unnerving nature of Antony Chigurh from No Country for Old Men crossed with Raoul Silva’s flamboyance from Skyfall, and you get Max Cady. He’s a conniving man with a brutal streak, flashbacks to his days in prison highlighting that said brutality, making him one hell of an adversary. 

Having only ever seen the Scorsese film, which seems to follow the novel closely, there are some major changes made to the story here, which must be down to the fact that they have ten episodes to cover rather than a feature film. These can’t be revealed for spoiler reasons, but they do make for a different experience to the film, even if the narrative starts to become a little convoluted. There’s also the attempt to recreate iconic scenes such as Robert De Niro’s Cady laughing maniacally in the cinema, here done by another character, that just don’t hit the same and feel out of place. Those are moments The Simpsons definitely did better.

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Cady’s meddling with the Bowden family leads to some home truths being revealed and mistrust rapidly spreading as a result. It isn’t always as you’d expect, though. Cady plays the gentleman to get on the side with everyone but Anna and Tom, while snaking his way into the lives of their children, Natalie and Zack. The writing manages to juggle all of this well, stopping the narrative from becoming overwhelmed at any point – even as Amy and Tom resort to unethical measures themselves to get the upper hand over Cady. It’s an intriguing game of cat and mouse that leaves you on tenterhooks with each episode, which isn’t easily done over so many episodes.

Jeff Russo’s score does a fine job in elevating the sense of paranoia and danger throughout, wonderfully combining with Eben Bolter and Celiana Cárdenas’ cinematography to create some menacingly memorable moments. It will be the performances that get the spotlight more here, but the score and cinematography play such a huge part in making Cape Fear a psychological thriller that really does a job in getting under your skin.

Speaking of the performances, this impressive ensemble really does deliver throughout. Bardem is the star of the show as Max Cady, a truly complex character that he gleefully sinks his teeth into. He makes it very easy to believe he will put a friendly arm around you one moment before murdering you the next. Adams, who is one of the best actors working today, is great as Anna Bowden, her life spiralling out of control at the hands of Cady, with Adams showing a steely nature to Anna, even at times when she’s at breaking point. There are so many relationships to keep track of throughout the show, yet the whole cast does a great job in making them feel meaningful towards the proceedings, Lily Collias as Natalie Bowden and Wilson as Tom Bowden in particular standing out.

Cape Fear manages to put a new spin on a familiar story with great success. When it works it works incredibly well, the pieces falling into place as the show moves along, making it shine as a psychological thriller. This is sure to be a hit for Apple TV and another show that ranks them as the best of the streaming giants when it comes to TV.

★★★★

On Apple TV weekly from June 5 / Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson / Showrunner: Nick Antosca / Executive Producers: Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg / Apple TV

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