It’s been far too long since we last saw a fierce cat-and-mouse chase between two complex women on our screens. Reminiscent of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s BAFTA-winning Killing Eve – though trading the camp drama and runway-worthy fashion for bleak realism – the new Hulu crime drama follows troubled FBI agent Alice Black as she doggedly hunts down a psychotic female serial killer.
The story begins on Halloween night in New York City inside a lavish apartment, where a man is desperately crawling his way out of a sick-covered bathroom. Perched right outside his doorstep is a mysterious woman in a red wig and cat mask, happily handing out candy to a trick-or-treater.
When she steps back inside, she finds the man has managed to drag himself into the hallway.
“I’ll be right back,” she says in a childlike voice. By the time she returns, he’s clawed his way halfway down the staircase. “I love your smile,” she whispers, lying beside him to watch his agonising attempt to breathe before finally injecting him with a lethal dose of fentanyl.
It’s a deeply unsettling opening sequence, but it certainly does the job. Consider my attention well and truly caught.
© DisneyNext, we meet FBI agent Alice Black. A former NYPD homicide detective, Alice was forced to transfer to the bureau after being pushed out by her abusive ex-boyfriend (a fellow detective). Driven by a desire to investigate sex crimes, Alice is clearly underutilised at her current post, stuck answering phone calls from “crazy people who Google the FBI.”
Thankfully for Alice (or perhaps not), it isn’t long before her old colleague, Danny Kelly (Scoot McNairy), recruits her to help solve the opening murder. As it turns out, the victim is Caleb Easton, the son of a powerful New York billionaire. Alice quickly connects the hit to a cold case, theorising that both victims were involved in a sex-trafficking ring – and that their killer was one of the young women they trafficked.
© DisneyShe takes her theory to Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), a hardened FBI veteran whose cynicism and liking for tequila stem from years spent heading up the sex crimes unit. “Why do you want to work in the basement on sex crimes and crimes against children?” Nora asks Alice. “Do you hate yourself? Don’t answer that.”
I know what you’re thinking. How many times have we seen the troubled detective trope? But this isn’t just another story about a detective with baggage and a killer out for revenge.
© DisneyIt’s a gripping exploration of female rage and victimhood, where sharp dialogue and relentless pacing pulls you in from the first frame.
The drama boasts excellent performances across the board, particularly from Bernstine, who delivers a standout monologue on the futile pursuit of justice in episode one. “It doesn’t matter. Anything you do, the ones who are really to blame don’t get caught. Never,” she says.
While it might be an uncomfortable watch, Furious is a dark, addictive thrill ride that will keep you glued to your screens.
Watch on Disney + in the UK and Hulu in the US.
This review was first published in HELLO!’s What to Watch newsletter. Subscribe here to read our reviews early.
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