Cape Fear gets remade again as Javier Bardem menaces Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson for 10 episodes.
We’ve already had two blisteringly good films based on crime novelist John D. McDonald’s 1957 book, The Executioners, both titled Cape Fear. The 1962 version, directed by J. Lee Thompson, saw Robert Mitchum’s remorseless psycho, Max Cady, reign holy hell on the family of Gregory Peck’s everyman lawyer in revenge for testimony that put him in prison for years. Martin Scorsese‘s 1991 remake gave us Robert De Niro doing the same thing to Nick Nolte. Well, it’s been 35 years, so I guess it’s time for Javier Bardem to take up the implacable lunatic baton.
Cape Fear Trailer
What’s the plot?
As the official synopsis tells us:
Inspired by the 1991 remake directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Steven Spielberg, a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna (Amy Adams) and Tom Bowden (Patrick Wilson) when Max Cady (Javier Bardem), the notorious killer they are responsible for putting behind bars, is let out of prison — and he wants vengeance.
Which is technically accurate but completely underselling how driven Cady is – a prison-honed engine of revenge that won’t stop until dead. One of the key elements in the other versions is just how helpless the Bowdens appear to be, and stringing that out across 10 episodes should be wonderfully excruciating. If you’re into that sort of thing.
Who’s in it?
- Javier Bardem as Max Cady.
- Amy Adams as Anna Bowden, a lawyer and Tom’s wife.
- Patrick Wilson as Tom Bowden, a lawyer and Anna’s husband.
- CCH Pounder as Noa Toussaint.
- Jullian Dulce Vida as Byron French.
- Lily Collias as Natalie Bowden.
- Joe Anders as Zack Bowden.
- Malia Pyles as Nevaeh Valentine.
- Anna Baryshnikov.
- Jamie Hector.
- Margarita Levieva.
- Samantha Clifford.
- Ron Perlman.
- Ted Levine.
- Patrick Fischler.
When’s it out?
Cape Fear premieres on Apple TV on Friday, 5 June with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through 31 July on Apple TV.
What’s the vibe?
Hey, if it ain’t broke…
