There are some TV shows and movies that just defy logic when it comes to popularity versus quality. Prime Video subscribers are proving this perfectly with former X-Files star David Duchovny’s easily bingeable six-part thriller, Malice. Described as being The White Lotus meets The Talented Mr Ripley, the series has crept up the streaming chart to become one of the most watched shows on the platform, yet its review scores are not as captivating as the show seems to be.
Malice stars British comedy star Jack Whitehall, who this time turns villainous as Adam, a tutor who infiltrates the Tanner family, led by patriarch Jamie, played by Duchovny. When the nanny of the incredibly wealthy Tanner family becomes “dangerously ill,” this opens a door for Adam to charm his way into their lives, intent on destroying them from the inside. While Adam attempts to turn the family against each other, Jaime begins to realize there is something amiss with their new associate, and he could be the reason for everything that has been going wrong. The question is, can Jaime stop Adam bringing the Tanners down?
When looking at the reviews for Malice, there is clearly a very split opinion on how good the show actually is, which is about the only thing critics and audiences seem to be in unison about.
Is ‘Malice’ Worth Watching on Prime Video?
David Duchovny as Jamie Tanner in the Prime Video thriller MalicePrime Video
Malice has all the classic traits of a popular streaming show. Part thriller, part mystery, and with a more than capable cast to pull it off. With a 47% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, though, have they managed to make Malice worth a watch?
The main gripe about Malice, in a critic’s view at least, is that the first episode doesn’t quite do enough to “build dramatic momentum.” While the performances of Duchovny, Whitehall, and Carice Van Houten as Jamie’s wife Nat, are generally praised the series is just “serviceable for many.” Many complain the show is too slow, had clunky dialogue, and the “head-scratching plot points in the name of setting up a twist” makes it just sit the wrong side of “fresh.”
Audiences are almost on the same page, delivering a 42% rating, but providing an insight as to why the series’ overall scores are not that great. For those who don’t actively look for plot holes and can suspend disbelief in the name of thrills, then Malice has everything you will be looking for. If you hate the odd convolution or seven, then like one reviewer, you will probably feel “like this was a complete waste of time by the end.”
However, on the flip side of that, one viewer called it “the perfect thriller to curl up on the sofa to.” Others have been surprised by Whitehall’s darker turn than his usual comedic roles, with one saying that he is ‘totally creepy and made me uncomfortable in a good way.”
If you are looking for a slightly over-the-top thriller, with the kind of twists and turns that such heightened fare brings, then Malice will be an easy way to pass several hours as your next bingewatch series.
Release Date
November 14, 2025
Network
Prime Video
