Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine Perfect Strangers excels in balancing its incredible ensemble cast. Every performance in the series is well-acted and thoroughly engaging. ... Nine Perfect Strangers edges out The White Lotus, particularly in the writing of its characters, providing more depth and a far more compelling group of individuals.

The ensemble is large enough that if one isn’t particularly engaged by the character on-screen, one simply has to wait five minutes for the weather to change. ... One wishes for more Kidman: Not a bigger performance, which seems impossible, but one that more firmly holds the show’s center. ... While we may crave more Masha, there’s interest, still, in watching characters place themselves in her thrall.

This handsome-looking show suffers from distractingly busy storytelling and lacks the satirical bite of its peers, but is carried by the sheer magnetism of its starry ensemble.

Kelley and the "Nine" writers struggle to fit everything they want to say and do into the episodes. Clunky exposition, hazy flashbacks, excessive nudity and drug-induced drama do not make up for a lack of confidence and clarity in storytelling. And despite the best efforts of the cast, particularly Cannavale, Boone and Jacinto, the dialogue often falls flat in their mouths.

It’s a surprisingly wobbly, not-good performance from a great actress in a beautifully photographed and occasionally entertaining but mostly ridiculous and off-putting melodrama from some of the same folks (series co-developer David E. Kelley and author Liane Moriarty) who gave us “Big Little Lies.”

The protocol is one of the few story elements that provide any tension. ... Masha is one of the [Kidman]’s more flamboyant incarnations, and one of the wackier, but it can generate only so much fascination in a story intent on inducing disbelief and disengagement. ... One character asks another, having just enjoyed an audience with Masha. “Suffering,” comes the response. Viewers should take heed.

It looks glamorous and talks the prestige TV talk, but it’s a hollow, self-indulgent emotional vacuum.

Great show, love the characters and the intention behind it. That it does not contain elements that most shows have these days, does not make it bad, but a fresh breeze

Not bad, but not nearly as creative or fun to watch as The White Lotus over on HBO Max. Felt like something was missing. Something to turn this from “good” to “great”

Unfortunately what started out as a truly engaging character study just ended up being a film-school grade self-indulgence. The first 4-5 episodes are tightly written, and had us wanting to know more, the last 4-5 episodes were like they were each written by a different writer working off the initial pilot treatment - disjoint and almost random in the directions it takes. There is so much potential in this, but some of the plot is laughably immature in its depiction of real people. Sad it ended so poorly when it started with so much promise

Interesting premise and started off with promise, but it becomes the very worst self indulgent self important vain **** you can possibly get into. Orgy of obnoxious instagram crap. Skip.

Take “The White Lotus”. Invert everything you’ve heard about that show. Pity. Stellar cast and crew wasted on terrible (and terribly trite and boring) story.