Netflix's His & Hers Debuts
Netflix's "His & Hers" adaptation starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal just dropped, based on Alice Feeney's acclaimed crime novel. The psychological thriller features estranged spouses—one a detective, the other a reporter—who each suspect the other of murder. The series is drawing attention for both its star power and the "special" real-life backstory that inspired the original novel.
While the series has managed to top the Netflix streaming charts in the U.S., its critical reception is deeply divided. Some reviews praise the "crackling chemistry" between leads Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, calling the six-episode mystery addictive and engaging. Others have labeled it a "major letdown," citing a "bafflingly amateurish script" and implausible plot twists. The "special" backstory refers to author Alice Feeney's 15-year career as a BBC journalist and news producer before she became a novelist. Feeney has stated that her experience reporting on real-world events and seeing the horror people can inflict on one another will always be more terrifying than anything she could imagine. However, the plot of "His & Hers" is not based on a true story. Feeney's inspiration came from the idea that everyone is the unreliable narrator of their own life, and she wanted to explore how two people remember and recount the same events differently. The characters and the specific crimes are entirely fictional. The series was developed by William Oldroyd ("Lady Macbeth") and showrun by Dee Johnson ("ER"). Among the executive producers are star Tessa Thompson and actress Jessica Chastain's production company, Freckle Films. Feeney is often called the "queen of twists," and more of her work is headed to the screen. Her novel "Rock Paper Scissors" is also being adapted by Netflix, and a series based on her debut, "Sometimes I Lie," has had Sarah Michelle Gellar attached to star.
