Leave it alone Netflix wait until the end of the year to premiere a new one psychological thriller that can’t get out of my head. This show, after the three-day Binge, structured my best list for 2025. Now, it’s basically this series and For the most part vying for the top spot. Yes, I said it.

The thriller I can’t shake is Animal in Me, the new drama starring Claire Danes that Netflix closed three weeks ago. I saw the title art all over the TV screen, but not until I heard Danes talk about the show in a recent episode of Smartess Podcast that I decided to try it. Well, I’m sure I did.

In Beast of Me, Danes plays Aggie Wiggs, an author struggling with a debilitating case of writer’s block. Most of it was due to the accident that broke the family that left him buried in sorrow. His focus at the beginning of the show was on a book about the relationship between Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. However, as he quickly found out, that the subject is simply fun.

All that changes with Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a polarizing figure in the world of real estate development, moving in next door. He is proud and rich, and one who thrives on stirring the pot, a character that flows Aggie from his axis. What’s more Nile is the main suspect in the death of his first wife, Madison, who disappeared six years before. To escape the stress of the big city – and the media spotlight on his potential guilt in the matter – Nile moved inland across the street from Aggie.

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Soon, the thought entered his head: Should he write a book about the man? Also, can he gain insight into his wife’s disappearance and, possibly a confession that he did, in fact, kill her?

I’m sure you can see where this is going. He sets up the RBG book and focuses his attention on Nile Jarvis, leading the Duo to form a dysfunctional friendship as he works with the FBI behind his back to prove his guilt. To say more would be asking me to get into spoilers of the story that makes this show so riveting. So, instead, let’s focus on what makes The Beast in Me a top-tier thriller and, in my opinion, one of the best Netflix shows of the year.

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None of this would work without the stellar team-up of Danes and Rhys. The beast in me is an example of two actors delivering performances that are completely focused on what is best for the story. Their dynamic involved, with Danes leaning on deep emotional elements that set up Sociopathic Chandy, Charismatic Cycling in Socyny, Charismatic Cycling in Socylicle, Swormati Cycling Between Socymatic in the Nile and the Lord, Passionate Monster

What makes his performance even more important is Rhys’ ability to make you relate to him, as the show shows the abuse and trauma from his childhood. I have to admit, it takes some acting chops and top-notch writing to convey this emotional component to a character without being useless or stupid. This is a Howard Gordon joint, so I’m not surprised that it’s all so good.

Gordon, who is the executive producer of Homeland, is THE YEAR here. His creative minimization with the Danes was nothing short of delightful.

In fact, there were many moments while watching the series where I noticed the similarities between Aggie and Nile’s relationship and Carrie and Brody’s on the homeland. Before you ask, the dynamic between Aggie and Nile couldn’t be more romantic. However, there is a bad obsession and blood that binds the two.

While the beast I had was a showcase for Danes and Rhys, the supporting cast was nothing to scoff at.

Brittany Snow, who plays Nile’s second wife, Nina is given more to chew on in the sequence, but only when she’s on screen. Jonathan steps effortlessly into the Logan Roy-style role of Martin Jarvis, Nile’s gruff, abusive father. David Lyons – who I immediately recognized from Spless NBC Superhereo Series the Cape, which was unexpectedly enjoyable – is excellent as the tormented FBI Agent Brian Abbott. Natalie Morales is wonderful as Aggie’s ex-wife, Shelley. Martin’s younger brother Rick, named “wrecking ball” (played by Tim Guinee), is a silent source of terror. Usually, everything that appears on the screen serves the story in the best way possible.

Animals to me seem like something Alfred Hitchcock would do if he were alive today. Everything from the camera work and episodic direction to the set design and music score worked together. It’s a rare occasion when a limited series like this one feels like it gets everything right. I’m trying to think of mistakes, but I’m running short.

The series is also a breath of fresh air in that it perfectly captures the “limited series” calculation, as when all is said and done, the show closes the toop of its story. There is absolutely room for more seasons, but the story of Aggie Wiggs and Nile Jarvis is a self-contained one that meets a satisfying end.

However, the animal’s biggest draw for me is the two character studies in the narrative, with Danes and Rhys commanding all eight episodes. Theirs was a non-love-love-sharing match that now lives in my head rent-free. Clear some space in yours, because if you’re into television dramas, this show is required viewing.