Fatal Attraction, the reimagined Paramount+ series based on Adrian Lyne’s 1987 mega blockbuster, isn’t fatally flawed, but it’s not overtly attractive either. It falls somewhere in between making it intriguing enough to dive into but ultimately something that leaves you wanting more. Pretty much like one of its lead characters — the obsessive Alex Forrest, pining after an unavailable man.
Alex was brought to life with vigor by Glenn Close in the original film and here, the wonderful Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex, Fleishman Is in Trouble) steps in with grounded care in a tale that leaps off the source material and dives into deeper waters as it attempts to explore the ripple effects of trauma and grief. It also tends to feel like a master class on mental health issues.
The ’80s film, which also starred Michael Douglas and Anne Archer, was not without its flaws. In fact, the ending was redone prior to release, making Glenn Close’s jilted and angry Alex — she of “I will not be ignored, Dan!” fame — into a bona fide slasher who would truly go in for the kill. A bit over the top by the end, perhaps, but the film was pretty solid and generated plenty of buzz, spawning a heated cultural conversation about marriage, attraction, and infidelity. Douglas and Close even graced the cover of Time magazine, with a headline reading, “The Thriller Is Back,” while the article illuminated how the stars’ characters lived “a nightmare of the ’80s.”
The new series never captures that kind of punch in its eight episodes, unfortunately. As for the infamous Alex, death truly becomes her. Here’s why.
What Happens to Alex in Fatal Attraction 2023?
The show’s developers, Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives) and Kevin J. Hynes (Perry Mason) spin off the original film’s ending — after a brutal attack, Anne Archer’s Beth shoots Alex in the bathroom — to give us two stories, one in present day, the other in 2008. In the here and now, Dan Gallagher (an effective Joshua Jackson) establishes parole after serving 15 years for murder.
That’s right. He was convicted of killing Alex, and he lost everything in the process — his regal career as a lawyer, his wife (Amanda Peet), and his young daughter Ellen (Alyssa Jirrels), who’s now grown and attempting to unravel her family’s troubled past and the effect it had on her. Dan’s initial plan to reconnect with Ellen falls flat. He shifts his focus and joins forces with his investigator pal Mike (Toby Huss). You see, Dan claims he didn’t murder Alex and wants to clear his name.
Related: Exclusive: Fatal Attraction Stars Amanda Peet and Alyssa Jirrels Spill the Tea
Meanwhile, back in 2008, life couldn’t be better. This is where Fatal Attraction mirrors — almost to the letter — what happened in the original film. Dan is working in the district attorney’s office, where everybody swoons over his legal prowess and the fact that he’s up for a judgeship. Alex, who works for L.A.’s victim services department, is not immune to Dan’s cocksure bravura either. In fact, the two, just as the characters did in the original, take an immediate liking to one another. There’s flirting, chats over drinks, and, well, naturally things get steamy in Alex’s studio apartment. The kitchen island, of course. And elsewhere, but there’s heat. A lot of it.
As the episodes roll on, we experience all the many moments that ultimately lead to Alex’s death. The creators have added nuances from the original here, puffing this baby up, while also attempting to make a statement on how our past informs and often molds us. (More on that later).
After Dan and Alex have their fling, Alex can’t seem to let go emotionally. As we saw in the original, there’s a bit of bonding between sneaky Alex with Dan’s daughter, Ellen. There’s even a bunny, too. The latter happens to be a neighbor’s pet. Watch how that plays out, folks. Like the original, Dan will ultimately confront Alex. Unlike the original, how that unravels is different. Bottom line: Alex’s death fuels this story.
Welcome to Alex 101
Paramount+
A few things come to mind when watching this version of Fatal Attraction. One can’t help but want to tell Paramount+: “Careful now.” Its feverish determination to retool some of its top moneymakers is beyond subtle. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, which took viewers back prior to events that happened in the hit film Grease, showed promise, but, like this outing, seemed to only make a modest splash.
Meanwhile, other projects like the 1980s hit Flashdance — please don’t screw that up! — are slated for retooling. The Parallax View and The Italian Job are also reportedly being developed. So is Love Story. Maybe this time we’ll hear something real: “Love is having to say you’re sorry.” We’ll see how all that flies.
Related: Fatal Attraction: Why it’s Still One of the Best Thrillers After 35 Years
What’s unique about this take on Fatal Attraction is how the series leans into various aspects of mental health and, particularly, Alex’s backstory. We never knew that much about Alex’s past, or even Dan’s, in the original. No so here. The series opens to the doors to their pasts and, to some extent, gives the character of Beth something more to work with, too. Some of that hits the mark. Other times, there seems to be a disconnect on what the series truly wants viewers to feel. Compassion for Alex? Intrigue with the little seeds Alex plants along the way, things we only discover in later episodes?
Paramount+
The good news: the entire cast shines. It’s hard to walk away from this without knowing these fine actors have given it their all. You do tend to care what happens to Dan and the clan, and there’s a nice twist on revisiting past scenes, which are told through Alex’s eyes. Perspective shifts occur throughout this endeavor in an attempt to keep viewers guessing.
That said, Alyssa Jirrels offers a unique take on a grown-up Ellen. There’s some fodder about people simply being projections of ourselves, but is that what we’re to take away from the outing? Or is it that obsession isn’t cool? Or that oftentimes, obsessions stem from something unresolved in the past? Or maybe it’s just that our psyches will always give us something to fixate on. Those may be attractive themes for filmmakers, but without much more to work with beyond an original film’s premise, it’s challenging to maintain this streaming affair let alone make it a refreshing bedfellow.
Fatal Attraction streams on Paramount+ beginning April 30.
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