Fatal Attraction returns in TV series form, a remake signed Paramount +

The new six-episode production of the 1987 masterpiece starring Glenn Close and Michael Douglas can be found on the well-known American streaming site. The famous erotic thriller explores the psychological figure of the characters

The remake operations of the great cults are always difficult and full of pitfalls. “Fatal Attraction” is no exception, a Paramount+ series in six episodes of fifty minutes each (the first three are already available, the rest are released every Monday) which revises the blockbuster film from the 1980s starring Glenn Close and Michael Douglas. Here to interpret Dan, prosecutor in charge of the serious crimes section, is Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek and Fringe) while his lover Alex - who deals with assistance to victims - has the face of Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman in pieces and Master of gender).

The narrative device - well thought out - to give substance to a plot that originally ended in two hours (and which here must cover eight) is twofold: on the one hand dividing the story into two temporal planes, on the other to delve into the psychology (and therefore the deep stratifications of the characters) in a much more articulated way. In fact, we see Dan who is released on probation after fifteen years of detention (pleading guilty) and who tries to rebuild the bond with his family – in particular with his daughter Ellen – and to reopen the case that concerns him (thanks to his old colleague who believes in his innocence) which are paired, in parallel, with long flashbacks that reconstruct, starting from 2008, the meeting with Alex and the unraveling of their story. At the time Dan is a happily married man and a loving father who runs into Alex for a business reason; the woman seduces him and, thanks to his magnetism and strong character, she has a night of passion with him. What was supposed to be an impromptu episode instead becomes an extra-marital relationship that will degenerate due to the mental disorders from which Alex suffers and which will lead to an escalation that is difficult to stop. The murky passion that develops between Dan and Alex is told in depth, as in any self-respecting erotic thriller, but in the series more space is given to the staging of the character and inner facets of the protagonists, especially of Alex. The woman not only has a two-dimensional hatch (seductress / madman) but she tries to understand which path has brought her up to that point, letting the chiaroscuro emerge. All of this is told at a fairly leisurely pace (especially the pilot is almost all set up of characters and situations while from the middle of the second episode the story gets a little more alive) and with more than a few voltage drops. The feeling is that, despite starting from excellent ingredients, the story has dragged on a little too long. Instead, the chemistry between the protagonists works quite well – and this is a fundamental element in this type of story which, with some interruptions, are credible and well matched (Joshua Jackson always in great shape, wig aside).

What is the aesthetic of “Fatal Attraction”?

What the texture doesn't do is the aesthetics. In stories with a rarefied plot (or in any case not so full of facts) it is always important to create an interesting and intriguing visual package. Here you choose the path of distinct color palettes: grey/blue and bruised tones for what concerns Dan's story in the present, warm and saturated tones, in which yellow and light predominate, for the passionate and disturbing love story between Alex and the prosecutor. Note of merit aside: the remarkable loft with large windows overlooking downtown Los Angeles where Alex lives, a true design jewel.

What happened to the bunny from the original movie?

An iconic scene from the film with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, widely cited as an homage in series and films, is where Alex, to take revenge on his ex-lover, breaks into his house, steals his daughter's bunny and boils it in the pot. This sign – decidedly showy – of the vengeful tendency of the protagonist has a declination of her, less bloody and direct, also in the series. In short: the rabbit is present, albeit in other forms (and with a happier fate).