Malice review – You’ll enjoy David Duchovny’s new thriller until Christmas | television

I I can’t say “Jack Whitehall stars with David “The X Files/Californication” Duchovny in a brilliant TV thriller” on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are, and everyone can have a good time with it. Besides, perhaps a little national pride in seeing the silly boy of fresh meat, bad education, and traveling with my father, all grown up and holding on to their place.

The brilliant thriller in question is Malice, in which Whitehall plays Adam, a teacher promoted to mani (nanny, for those on the rich’s terms), who is determined – for reasons as yet unknown – to destroy famous businessman Jimmy Tanner (Duchovny). It’s not clear whether he’ll do this to the rest of Tanner’s family and friends, or whether they’re doomed to be collateral damage, but that doesn’t spoil the Machiavellian fun.

Adam arrives at the Tanners’ lavish Greek island estate as a tutor to Jimmy’s guest children, Jules (Christine Adams) and Damien (Reza Jaffrey), who are pretty much the experimental setup for the Tanners’ alpha show. Adam quickly makes himself both interesting (with his knowledge of the legendary heritage of the surrounding islands, thanks to studying the classics at university) and useful (with his knowledge of cocktail and calamari making and his willingness to do chores while still having time to accompany Jimmy to the local strip clubs).

While he’s gone, he gathers information about his hosts (including mentioning that they’re hiding out as much as they’re on vacation, hoping that the “situation” involving their eldest child will resolve itself); He throws Jimmy’s passport into the sea; food poisons; He flirts with Jimmy’s wife, Nat (Carice Van Houten); He sets various traps for the unwary family and employers. Some close quickly. Some take their time.

While Adam plots and conspires, Jimmy and Duchovny have a good time. Jimmy because he’s a rich idiot and insulated from the consequences of his actions – at least so far – by his wealth and power; Duchovny Because rich assholes in glossy TV thrillers get the best lines. The role of Jimmy plays to all of Duchovny’s strengths as an actor: rambling wit, dry wit, and an irredeemable detachment from the proceedings. We believe in him as a ruthless millionaire, and as a man good enough not to deserve whatever comes to him.

By the end of the first two episodes, which are all that was available for review, Adam has his feet firmly under the Tanner table – which has now moved from Greece to their London mansion, overlooked by a large portrait of the happy family. The hatred is all very well but it’s not subtle. (See also: the snake at the family gathering early on; several characters express some form of: “This guy Adam—I find him disturbing in some indefinable way”; and Adam standing over an unconscious, drunk Jimmy and telling him he could kill him right now but he won’t because he wants him to suffer as he does.) This, of course, is a big part of the fun.

Some roads have been cleared. Some unexpected obstacles have to be overcome – a stubborn Greek detective assigned to rob the man Jimmy has been with in a long-running dispute over the land he built it on, or a stomach unusually resistant to poisoned avocados. And, no doubt, more will come to light as the family begins to wonder why their perfect life is falling apart and if this new man is as perfect as he seems. Is there something bad about a gilded wooden house?

It’s The White Lotus meets The Talented Mr. Ripley, of course, tapping into viewers’ distaste for and fascination with the lives of the wealthy, and the eternal attraction to the underdog who seems ready to bring down everything bright.

It’s a great outing, and Whitehall pulls off his first dramatic role well, even if he’s better at obliquely menacing than directly delivering murderous speeches. Duchovny remains as witty, smart, and charming as ever, giving us the California Hank if he had gone into real estate instead of writing and made enough money to keep his mess at bay. More things to enjoy to take you happily until Christmas.