“Suspicion”: An Apple TV+ Disappointment from the Creators of “The Americans” and “Deutschland 83”
In a lavish New York City hotel, a group wearing rubber masks of the British Royal Family kidnap Leo, the son of prominent businesswoman, billionaire, and CEO of a tech company, Katherine Newman (Uma Thurman). Newman immediately seeks the help of the CIA. As the kidnapping video goes viral, the intelligence agencies quickly identify four suspects – British citizens who, at first glance, have no connection to each other: a cybersecurity expert, a financial consultant, an Oxford professor, and even a hitman wanted by Interpol. The first three are arrested in broad daylight, while the experienced fourth manages to escape. During interrogation, the suspects swear they know nothing, but in the eyes of the public, their friends, and family, they are already guilty. Meanwhile, someone publishes a video addressed to Newman, demanding she reveal the truth.
Uma Thurman as Katherine Newman in “Suspicion”
“Suspicion” is yet another American remake of an Israeli series. A recent example is the drama “Your Honor,” whose universal conflict (moral decay and betrayal of one’s ideals for the sake of family safety) was easily adapted to the realities of the United States, and later, to Russia. This new Apple TV+ series proves that such an approach doesn’t always work. The original, the thriller “False Flag,” is directly linked to the geopolitical conflict between Israel and the Arab world: the plot involves Israeli citizens being accused of working for Mossad and kidnapping a high-ranking Iranian official. In the adaptation, the Middle Eastern conflict is replaced by anti-capitalist rhetoric and a war between the rich and the poor. However, the creators do everything possible to ensure that the viewer considers the villains to be not evil corporations and shady billionaires, but for some reason, people who demand the truth be revealed and are willing to do anything to make ends meet.
Kunal Nayyar as Aadesh in “Suspicion”
However, the ambiguous ideological position is the least of the series’ problems. As we know, even shameless propaganda can be forgiven if it’s made by a talented filmmaker. It seems surprising that the creators of “The Americans” and “Deutschland 83,” arguably the best spy thrillers of the past decade, have come together to produce such a bland and sterile series as “Suspicion.” Like one of its characters on the run, it does everything possible to blend in with the crowd and not stand out in any way. Behind the intriguing setup lies not a dynamic thriller built on cliffhangers and unexpected revelations, but a tedious prestige drama about the offensively boring secrets of the main characters. The only feeling that “Suspicion” evokes is nostalgia for the television of the 2000s. Series like “24” didn’t try to tell complex, psychologically rich stories of the characters, but did everything possible to make the viewer squirm in their seat and bite their nails with tension. Back then, the dominant feelings were a sense of danger here and now, fear for the characters, and a global intrigue, but now – only a bitter realization that nothing is likely to happen to the character: the viewer hasn’t yet learned how tragic his life has been in the last ten years.
Georgina Campbell as Natalie in “Suspicion”
Final Verdict
With the growing number of streaming platforms generating tons of content, spending eight hours on a series like “Suspicion” seems like an unaffordable luxury. It’s a frankly passable, often irritating, and most importantly, slow-moving story that ultimately won’t live up to viewer expectations. Believe me, you already know that all people are hiding something, whether it’s a billionaire with the habits of a god or your harmless family-man neighbor.