The Perfect Couple on Netflix

The Perfect Couple is one of my top 3 best Elin Hilderbrand books. (And I’ve read nearly all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books and visit some combination of the MA trio (Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket) every summer.) What’s so special about this one is that, besides her usual beachy “rich people problems,” it also gives the reader a “death at a wedding” to investigate. This makes it extra intriguing!

I binged all six episodes of the adaptation in 2 days and am here to share 10 thoughts/fun facts (no spoilers) to enhance your own viewing experiences:

The Trailer: GAH! One of the most crave-worthy I’ve seen! (*Consumed best with a glass of champagne.*)

The Opening Scenes: When they started the adaptation with summer scenes of Nantucket, I had CHILLS!!! Actually, I have chills now just thinking about it. After spending so many years reading Hilderbrand’s books and visiting the locations, seeing it all play out on TV felt surreal.

Filming Locations: It actually filmed in Chatham, MA, which is the loveliest little town on Cape Cod. Highly recommend for a day or longer! It’s very quaint and charming in town– with New England flair, of course. They did show Mitchell’s Book Corner in Nantucket briefly, though, and I SCREAMED! I have visited there a few times, and Elin does her weekly book signings there.

Casting: 10 out of 10. Truly, everyone was perfect in their roles. First, Nicole Kidman can do no wrong. But Dakota Fanning was also a real standout. I haven’t seen her in so long, and beyond her delightfully awful mean girl performance, it was just nice to see her “all growed up.”

Casting Crossovers: More bookish fun facts about the characters. Nicole Kidman also played Celeste in the Big Little Lies adaptation. I heard this was why they changed the name of The Perfect Couple‘s bride, Celeste, to Amelia. Amelia is played by Eve Hewson, who is Bono’s daughter, and starred in the adaptation of Behind Her Eyes. Lastly, the actress playing Chloe played Covey in the Black Cake adaptation. These are all great adaptations if you want to expand your binge-watching!

One Thing That Really Bummed Me Out: We don’t meet the famous Chief Kapenash from many of Elin’s books. Since he floats through so many of her novels in pivotal ways, I was really excited to finally see him! Here, the chief is a widowed dad of teen, Chloe.

The House: The house is a character in its own right in the book. I thought the exterior was spot on, but the interior didn’t have all the Nantucket vibes I hoped for. I was thinking more along the lines of Emily Gilmore’s Nantucket compound.

What’s with the flash mob?!: The opening credits are a wedding dance flash mob scene, and while the song was catchy (and stuck in my head now), it felt so cringeworthy and non-Nantucket-y to me. I thought they nailed the vibes at the rehearsal dinner scene, and I would have preferred something more along those lines. Or even the characters sailing in on a boat and partying. I read an article saying the cast hated it. So far, social media reactions are mixed.

Non-Spoiler Thoughts on the Ending: I won’t spoil it; I will just say it was satisfying! There are some changes all along the way, but I thought they worked, and it all made sense for this medium.

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10. It was delicious and delightful. And worth the wait! One point was removed for the dance scene, and another was removed for straying from the Nantucket vibes at times.

New Posts to Check Out

Privacy • Disclaimer • Terms • Accessibility • Editorial