There is understandably some eye rolling at the announcement of any television reboots of a classic film or work of literature, given that many limited event series feel awkwardly trapped between the focus of a feature and the breadth of a multi-season show. That being said, “Cape Fear” has evolved into a source text that is worth reintroducing to new generations, given that it has a formula that works. Oddly enough, it falls somewhere between beloved American classics, such as “Little Women” or “East of Eden,” and highly entertaining genre stories, including “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” There’s certainly enough to say about justice, wealth, class, and family to justify taking a new swing.
The other thing “Cape Fear” has always had in its favor was the notion of A-list talent working on what is essentially a smoothed-over, yet decidedly pulpy work of exploitation. The 1962 original cast had Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, two of the world’s most respected actors, and sent them into a crazed frenzy that ended with one of the decade’s most memorable setpieces.
1991’s remake was perhaps one of the only times that Martin Scorsese made a flat-out commercial film (the other being “The Color of Money”), as he amped up the violence and sexual tension for a film that felt indebted to the work of his pal, Brian De Palma. Fittingly enough, Scorsese and Steven Spielberg (who had considered taking on a version for himself many times) are producers of the new “Cape Fear,” a ten-part series for Apple TV that draws from both films and the novel.
Casting was the best way for the reboot to distinguish itself, and Apple TV has been prominent among streamers for getting legitimate movie stars to appear in their television projects. Taking on the role of the convicted ex-convict Max Cady, released after 17 years in prison after new evidence resurfaces, is Javier Bardem, who combines the magnetic demeanor of his Oscar-winning “No Country For Old Men” performance with the maniacal wit of his role as the Bond villain Raoul Silva in “Skyfall.”
However, the more notable change from previous versions is the updated depiction of the lawyer responsible for Cady’s imprisonment. Amy Adams stars as Anna Bowden, Cady’s former attorney, who struck a deal with the prosecution at the last minute for him to plead guilty. The twist is that the prosecuting attorney, Tom (Patrick Wilson), became her husband shortly after the trial, leading to rumors about a secret deal in which Cady was victimized.
Expanding the story from a man-on-man standoff to an elegiac clash of families was the right way to update “Cape Fear,” given that more about the relatives of both Cady and his alleged victim surfaces as the show highlights more reveals. It also aims at the self-congratulatory politics of wealthy, white progressives who claim to be working on behalf of those whom they ultimately look down upon.
Anna has become a prominent member of an organization that helps to free falsely convicted men, most of whom look to her differentially and keenly support her cause. Cady’s release, inevitably, goes a different way when he decides to take more of the media spotlight for himself. While his presence is obviously aggravating to the Bowden family, they’re unable to reprimand him in public out of fear of being framed as hypocrites.
“Cape Fear” is unabashedly unsubtle, with composer Jeff Russo gleefully reworking the iconic theme to create maniacal moments of shock. Body horror is visual and inventively grotesque, but even the darkest of moments in “Cape Fear” have a touch of black comedy. That Cady is able to reinsert himself into society as the Bowdens cope with their own family issues means that there is a ripe amount of uncomfortable and embarrassing situations to be had.
“Cape Fear” seems to recognize that viewers know where it is headed. It’s not intended to be unpredictable, but it does mine all the possibilities that can come about as different characters are matched with one another. Without spoiling anything, “Cape Fear” has cards up its sleeve that constantly reframe who is at fault and what secrets from the past are being suppressed.
“Cape Fear” is artistically structured in a way that is unlike any other show in the “prestige era.” While the series was orchestrated by showrunner Nick Acosta, it assembled a murderer’s row of terrific genre directors to handle each episode. Among the talented filmmakers credited to “Cape Fear” are Morten Tyldum, S.J. Clarkson, Jon S. Baird, Trey Edward Schultz, and Reed Moreno.
There’s a consistent tone of elevated camp that blinds them all, but “Cape Fear” nearly feels like a competition in which each director was asked to come up with their own novel setpiece, snarky one-liner, or emotional gutpunch. There are certainly awkward transitions to be had, given that the logic holding up the entire series is flimsy at best, but “Cape Fear” is nonetheless compulsively watchable.
Bardem is an unquestionable standout who leers, smirks, and looms as a captivating villain, even if “Cape Fear” does more to add humanity to the character than previous versions. That Cady is obviously creepy is a given, but there’s a murkier direction in which the show’s actual conflict plays out that suggests he is not the only one with malicious intentions.
Adams’ accent is a bold choice that doesn’t work as well as her work in the similarly themed crime miniseries “Sharp Objects,” but “Cape Fear” is smart to characterize her as a “difficult,” occasionally thoughtless character who is forced to put up a shield in order to stand out in a profession dominated by men. Wilson is once again reliable as the seemingly perfect family man who is deferential and determined in equal regard, as he’s the type of actor who can draw out the best in his co-stars, whilst being impossibly charming. However, the show’s best performance might be from Lily Colias, who plays Anna’s daughter Natalie. Collias had a terrific breakthrough role in the Sundance drama “Good One” two years prior, and she’s well-suited for the one character in “Cape Fear” who seems to be as in the dark as the audience is.
The decision to make “Cape Fear” a ten-episode series when eight or seven would have sufficed does lead to some uneven segments when the story can’t significantly change the status quo, but rarely does it have any illusions about what it is. “Cape Fear” is a high-wire act of dubious morality and inevitable consequence, and the series retains the essence of the source material whilst pushing it in a modern direction.
