Tatiana Maslany and Murray Bartlett deliver standout performances in Apple TV's new thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, a show that blends dark humour with genuine tension. Maslany plays Paula, a divorced mother navigating a custody battle who finds solace in online interactions with a young sex worker named Trevor, played by an actor resembling Jeff Buckley. Their digital relationship takes a violent turn when Trevor is attacked during a video call, leaving Paula as the sole witness.
The police dismiss the incident as a scam, but Paula suspects a deeper conspiracy. Armed with her daughter's hockey stick, she launches her own investigation, interviewing cam-boys and attracting the attention of a crime boss. The show explores the motivations behind scammers, offering sympathy alongside vengeance, a departure from typical vigilante narratives.
Violence is inventive and visceral, with weapons ranging from nail-guns to a tuna can lid. However, the show's most stressful element is its overuse of loud notification sounds in montages, a trope that feels outdated. Paula's job as a newspaper fact-checker adds a layer of implausibility, as she frequently abandons work for her investigation.
Bartlett, known for The White Lotus, brings a menacing presence, while Jake Johnson (Nick from New Girl) plays Paula's ex-husband. Dolly de Leon shines as a dry-witted detective with unexpected vices. The show is enjoyably twisty, though its title overpromises pleasure; it's more accurate to say it offers a good amount of pleasure if you like this sort of thing.
