Furious Hulu review praises Emmy Rossum drama’s fierce cast
Variety says Hulu’s eight-episode crime drama overcomes familiar trauma plotting with Emmy Rossum, Lola Petticrew and a strong ensemble.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Hulu’s new crime drama has landed with a pointed notice from Variety, where critic Alison Herman writes in her Furious Hulu review that the series is powered more by its cast than by its familiar trauma-and-pursuit setup.
The eight-episode series, created by Elizabeth Meriwether, stars Emmy Rossum as Alice, a new FBI agent who comes to the bureau after working for the NYPD. Rossum also serves as an executive producer, according to Variety.
Lola Petticrew plays Catherine, the killer Alice is chasing. Variety reports that the show is loosely connected to the 1987 thriller “Black Widow,” though Herman says Meriwether has shifted the premise sharply: this version centers on a former child trafficking victim who targets people from her past rather than the film’s money-motivated murderer.
What is Furious on Hulu about?
“Furious” follows Alice as she investigates Catherine, a woman whose violence is tied to the abuse and exploitation she survived. Variety describes the story as a cat-and-mouse crime drama that links the two women through trauma, rage and their encounters with powerful men.
Herman writes that those parallels can feel too tidy at times, especially as the season moves toward its ending. The review also notes that one abuser in the story is a New York power player whose interest in underage girls calls to mind the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The show’s cast is the main reason the drama works, according to Variety. Herman singles out Petticrew, known for “Say Nothing,” for bringing intensity to Catherine, a character shown as both frightening and emotionally stunted by what happened to her.
Rossum’s Alice is described as another survivor, trying to get away from an abusive long-term relationship while still dealing with her ex, Marshall, played by Jake Lacy. Variety reports that Marshall remains a detective, which puts personal history and police work uncomfortably close together once the case brings multiple agencies into the investigation.
The ensemble also includes Scoot McNairy as Danny, Alice’s former supervisor, and Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Nora Washington, Alice’s new boss. Herman writes that Bernstine gives the series some of its sharpest moments as a weary sex-crimes-unit veteran whose speeches about anger sometimes feel written to explain the show’s themes.
Steve Way, from “Ramy,” appears as a client Catherine cares for in her day job as a home health aide. Variety says his scenes with Petticrew provide a warmer break from the show’s harsher material.
The review also credits composer Ariel Marx for setting an eerie tone with the score. Herman connects “Furious” to Meriwether’s past work on “The Dropout” and “Dying for Sex,” noting that the creator again builds a story around women, damage and the messy ways people respond to pain.
The first three episodes of “Furious” are streaming on Hulu now, with the rest of the season set to arrive weekly on Mondays, according to Variety.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.