
As a critic, I have to say that HBO’s Sharp Objects, which debuted in 2018, really set a new standard for unsettling television. Written by Marti Noxon and adapted from Gillian Flynn’s novel, it featured phenomenal performances from Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and Eliza Scanlen, and delved into some seriously dark Southern Gothic territory—all set in Missouri. The biggest shock? The reveal that Scanlen’s seemingly innocent character, Amma, was the killer her sister (Adams’ Camille) had been tracking the whole time. Now, seven years later, Harlan Coben’s Lazarus attempts a similar twist, but frankly, it doesn’t land with the same impact. Lazarus isn’t bad, but it’s hard not to compare it to the haunting and brilliantly executed finale of Sharp Objects, and in that comparison, it just falls a little flat.