The long-awaited adaptation of Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta novels has finally arrived on Prime Video, but viewers and critics alike have been left disappointed. Starring Nicole Kidman as the forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, the series has been described as a 'dire mess' with a strange tone and a techy spin that includes an AI chatbot as a main character.
The series, executive produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, who also stars, features two timelines: one in the present with Kidman, and one in the 1990s with Rosy McEwen as a younger Scarpetta. Despite strong performances from Kidman and Curtis, the show has been criticised for its sluggish pacing, lack of tension, and reliance on deus ex machina revelations.
One of the most controversial additions is the AI chatbot character, Janet, the dead wife of Scarpetta's niece Lucy. This narrative device, along with a subplot about 3D-printed organs and astronaut deaths, has been labelled 'sub-Black Mirror' and distracts from the original source material. Critics have also noted that the series fails to capture the gripping procedural elements of Cornwell's novels.
Despite the star power, including Ariana DeBose and Bobby Cannavale, the show has been called 'Prestige Trash' for its over-the-top silliness and stretching a four-part story into eight episodes. The chemistry between Kidman and Curtis is praised, but it's not enough to save the series from being a confused adaptation.
