Netflix’s His & Hers Is Too Grim to Be Fun, Too Silly to Take Seriously

I really wanted to like His & Hers on Netflix. It had a great setup – Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal as a divorced couple who both think the other might be a murderer! Plus, the director, William Oldroyd, did Lady Macbeth and Eileen, which were fantastic films, so I went in with high hopes. They even moved the story from the UK to Georgia, which is becoming a big spot for filming. It definitely reminded me of Mr. & Mrs. Smith – that fun, tense vibe. The show has all the ingredients: sex, violence, ambition, and a ton of mistrust, playing out over six episodes. But here’s the problem: the director couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to make a dark comedy or a serious thriller. It tries to be both, but ends up feeling unsure of itself. It doesn’t quite land as a clever, self-aware show, and it doesn’t really dig deep into the really tough stuff it brings up either. It’s a shame, because the potential was definitely there.