Watch the trailer for Safe below.
I love to bingewatch new Netflix shows completely blind, and that’s exactly what happened with the platform newest’s offering: Safe. It’s not groundbreaking TV by any means, but it’s definitely worth your time.
A Safe Premise
A co-production between Canal+ and Netflix, Safe was created by famed crime author Harlan Coben, and focuses on a surgeon whose daughter goes missing one eventful night. I won’t reveal anymore, because the beauty of the shows lies in the layers of intrigue that keep piling up into one crazy web of suspicion. Of course we’ve all seen the missing child trope countless times before, but Safe has enough tricks up its sleeve to keep things fresh and addictive. I wasn’t too impressed upon starting the pilot, but found myself completely hooked by the end of its bombshell cliffhanger. Naturally, I bingewatched the rest of the season (it’s 8 episodes in total) pretty quickly. The momentum is constant, and there’s never a dull moment. Bravo!
A Safe Cast
As the show’s lead, Michael C. Hall (yup, Dexter himself) makes for a strong-willed protagonist. His English accent can be a bit distracting, but you feel for his plight and are invested in his story from the start. Even more impressive is Amanda Abbington as Detective Sophie Mason. I’d never seen the actress before but she’s incredible in Safe; her cop role is far from cliché, and the show’s scripts give her a whole lot of meaty material to chew on. I’d love to see Abbington headline her own kickass show in the future.
It’s also worth noting that Safe has a diverse teenage cast, and they’re all perfectly cast. Far too many shows paint their teenage lineup as spoiled stereotypical brats, but the youngsters here are all multi-dimensional and intriguing to watch. That’s a definite win in my book!
A Safe Bet
I do wish Safe took more risks. In this golden age of television, you have to bring out the big guns if you really want to stand out. The most powerful series of the past year haven’t been afraid to really go there with their storytelling (check out my reviews of The Handmaid’s Tale and its anxiety-inducing storytelling, or my take on The Sinner‘s intense insights). The dialogue doesn’t exactly stand out and the premise is not particularly unique, so Safe could have been even more impactful if it was a bit more bold (thankfully the ending is shockingly good. No spoilers here).
Also, how much did Audi pay for its product placement? Because Hall’s car is practically the star of the show!
Conclusion
It might not be cutting-edge TV, but Safe is worth watching thanks to fine performances and addictive plotting.
I thought Safe was a good drama with a few impactful twists and turns.
Amanda Abbington is the MVP of the series. I remember her from Sherlock playing John Watson’s badass wife. She was good then. But she’s even better in this. I would love to see her as the main lead of a series.
BTW I liked Michael C. Hall’s English accent. It wasn’t over-the-top or barely noticeable.
Hmmm I must watch Sherlock then 🙄
Having been a fan of Harlan Coben’s mysteries for decades, I couldn’t pass up on this. I’m glad I didn’t. “Safe” has all the elements of Coben’s best mysteries: the plots don’t just twist, they curl upon themselves; the characters cover a broad range from the seemingly sinister to the suspiciously innocent; and the endings are always satisfying. I agree with your praise for the cast, although I really enjoyed Audrey Fleurot’s Zoe and, especially, Marc Warren’s Pete. (I’ve been a fan of Warren since “Band of Brothers”.)
My negative criticism has to do with the subplot of the bumbling Jojo Marshall and his family trying to dispose of a corpse. If it was meant to be comic relief, it wasn’t funny enough. If it was meant to be taken seriously, it was too goofy. Whatever.
Over all, this is a show well worth watching. Definitely.
Hey Rocco! Im now very intrigued to read some of Coben’s work – WOW! Sounds like a hell of a writer!
So true about Jojo and the family. It tried to be funny, serious and everything in between making for a messy conflict of tones. Ugh. And they just seemed to forget about them in the end 🙄
If I may, I would recommend Coben’s “Miracle Cure” as a starter.
Awesome thanks Rocco! Appreciate it
I honestly loved it! Kept me on the edge and every episode was better than the one before! I love unpredictable shows, and hope Netflix makes some space for more 😍
Lots more to come wohooo
I’ve always had a problem with dropping Harlan Coben’s books down. I ended up reading 11 of them last summer. Safe was an addictive, entertaining and capturing series. It carried the same spirit as Coben’s books. The mystery was weaved in a manner that grasps the viewer until the very end. The plot was twisted and well built. Plus each episode was loaded with a couple of unexpected reveals that sustain the attachment to the series. I hope that Safe will have another season or that we’ll see more of Coben’s work on tv because he does have a unique style in delivering mystery. It’s always the least expected outcome with him.
Wow you really got me excited to try reading his books. Thanks for commenting Vanessa and so glad you enjoyed the series. If you didn’t watch Killing Eve, that’s my next recommendation 😁