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Nine Perfect Strangers: Between good reviews and criticism

Nicole Kidman’s latest controversial series, “Nine Perfect Strangers,” sparked fierce criticism as well as good reviews among people and art critics.

Nicole Kidman is one of the highest-paid and one of the most successful actresses in the history of Cinema; she did a great job in television.

The highly buzzed mystery series “Nine Perfect Strangers” has been available since August 2021 on Hulu.

Starring: Nichole Kidman as Masha Dmitruchenko, Melissa McCarthy as Frances Welty, Micheal Shannon as Napolean Marconi, Luke Evans as Lars Lee, and many more.

Nine Perfect Strangers Story

Let’s start with the story. “Nine Perfect Strangers” is about Nine stressed city dwellers visiting a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation. The resort’s director is a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies.

Could ten days at a health resort change you forever? These nine perfect strangers are about to find out.

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight; some are here to get a reboot on life; some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves.

Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work, but none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days will be.

Can you stand to be in a room with nine people you don’t know?

People Reviews

Some people found the series exciting and worth watching; some see that  One of the successful twists in the story was the storyline revolving around the parents and their daughter, who were trying to come to terms with the suicide of their son/brother. The feelings as they unraveled were genuinely touching, and the performances from Asher Keddie and Michael Shannon were excellent.

Others liked Melissa McCarthy and Bobby Cannavale, who plays an author and retired NFL athlete who starts off detesting one another. It’s a little predictable where their story is going, but it has nuance, humor, and a depth of feeling that kept it from becoming sappy.

Mostly it has been said that it has a well-made production, with great cinematography, impressive effects, a beautiful soundtrack, unique and touching acting.

Critics

Nine Perfect Strangers received good reviews and vibes, as well as criticism. The show was created by David E Kelley (of HBO’s Big Little Lies and The Undoing), based on the 2018 book “Nine Perfect Strangers” by Liane Moriarty (author of Big Little Lies’ source material).

Kidman’s character in the Nine Perfect Strangers was criticized for its cult-ish vibes, a mysteriously inscrutable central figure in Kidman’s Russian-accented Masha, a lush locale (a spa retreat in California, though filmed in Byron Bay, Australia), a hot topic rich for skewering (wellness culture), and the perennial TV draw of miserable wealthy, it was described as thoroughly dull.

It was also criticized for its unencumbered length, overwrought performances, atmospheric tracking shots, and lousy score masquerading as depth – amounting to a misfire, intriguing blocks with no harmony with its parts.

Critics see Nine Perfect Strangers as the most disappointing, especially given the cast, with a clear, yawning gap between what the creators think they’re making and the show that exists.

Also, the series suffers from some confounding logistical questions out of the gate: how are none of the guests at Tranquillum, the dubious wellness resort run by Masha, aware of the no-cellphone policy ahead of their 10-day retreat? How did the guests discover and subscribe to a place that does not advertise nor have any word-of-mouth recognition?

Throughout the six episodes available to critics, each character poses and ponders why they’re sequestered at Tranquillum – “why am I here?” washed up ex-jock Tony (Cannavale) cries in the fourth episode – which unfortunately prompts the same question from the viewer. Why are we here, hours into this shallow pool?

It was criticized for the screaming, meditating and slow-motion shots of smoothies whirring in a blender. The effect only highlights the show’s slim characterization and stands in unfavorable contrast to the intoxicating.

Some criticized Kidman’s appearances, such as the wig and makeup. In addition, the sex scenes were described as devoid of excitement. It was also assumed that the series tried to rely on its success on the fame and beauty of its actors.