Fool Me Once Story:-
Adapted from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same title, the series delves into the life of a widowed military officer struggling to cope with the twin murders within her family.
Movie Ratings
| Release Date | 1 January 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| Episodes | 8 |
| Creator | Harlan Coben |
| Cast | Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, Adeel Akhtar, Joanna Lumley, Emmett J Scanlan, Dino Fetscher, Marcus Garvey, Hattie Morahan, James Northcote, Dänya Griver, Daniel Burt, Adelle Leonce, Natalia Kostrzewa, Laura Gibbons |
| Director | Nimer Rashed, David Moore |
| Writer | Danny Brocklehurst |
| Cinematography | hris Sowden |
| Music | David Buckley, Luke Richards |
| Producer | Harlan Coben, Nicola Shindler, Danny Brocklehurst, Richard Fee, Jessica Taylor |
| Production | Quay Street Productions |
| Certificate | 16+ |
This Netflix adaptation of another Coben bestseller, while potentially gripping in its original form, loses some of its allure and suspense when translated into a series format. The drawn-out nature of the storytelling leads to a frustratingly long wait for the big reveal, with many of the twists and turns becoming predictable early on, often as soon as the first or second episode.
Nevertheless, “Fool Me Once” manages to maintain a relatively brisk pace compared to similar shows. The narrative predominantly revolves around Maya Stern (played by Michelle Keegan), who grapples with the loss of her husband Joe (Richard Armitage) and sister Claire (Natalie Anderson) in quick succession. Amidst these tragedies, she contends with strained relationships, including her wealthy mother-in-law Judith Burkett (portrayed by Joanna Lumley), her sister’s resentful husband, and the skeptical detective Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar).
The series presents a straightforward whodunit storyline, which works to its advantage but also results in a somewhat shallow plot lacking significant depth. Despite each episode featuring hectic developments and maintaining a fast pace, the overarching narrative fails to progress substantially. Viewers may find that after the initial two episodes, they can skip ahead to the finale and still receive satisfactory answers to most of the lingering questions. The narrative’s oversimplification may leave some questioning whether such murder mysteries warrant being stretched across multiple hour-long episodes, especially considering the inclusion of unnecessary subplots such as the detective’s personal struggles and family life, which often feel disconnected from the main storyline.
Michelle Keegan delivers an elegant performance within the confines of her character’s portrayal, while Joanna Lumley embodies the role of the archetypal wealthy matriarch with finesse. The rest of the cast also delivers solid performances.
In conclusion, “Fool Me Once” offers an engaging whodunit narrative that could have been more effective as a condensed thriller film, providing viewers with a satisfying resolution to its double murder mystery.
