**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“Do we have to wake up to murder every morning?”

Based on a True Story premiered on Peacock on June 8th 2023 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The comedy crime thriller stars Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman, Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberato, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 25-35 minutes.

Ava and Nathan are expecting a baby and feel like their marriage is becoming very mundane, but when Ava realizes that their plumber may be the Westside Ripper serial killer, she teams up with her husband to blackmail him into creating a true crime podcast with them from the killer’s perspective.

Here is the trailer:

Based On a True Story is the perfect mix of The Flight Attendant and Only Murders in the Building with a unique voice of its own. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Great chemistry between characters!

I honestly haven’t seen such good chemistry between a married couple on TV since Santa Clarita Diet. Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina are hilarious on screen, but also very believable as a couple. They are very relatable and the real moments between them give this series an edge.

I was worried that this series would feel like a rip-off of The Flight Attendant and Only Murders in the Building, but it channeled the quirky take on the true crime craze flawlessly while branching off into something truly exceptional of its own. 

Stand-out performance goes to Tom Bateman as Matt. Think Joe Goldberg from You without all of the whiny psychobabble. He is charming and entertaining and he absolutely steals the show!

Short episodes make it easy to binge-watch.

I got through this series very quickly. The episodes are super short and it’s so addicting! If you’re looking for a quick and easy binge-watch for the weekend, this is the show for you.

There are also some really fantastic blood-soaked moments for slasher fans. The series is more of a comedic thriller, but I personally liked that it wasn’t afraid to get a little bit messy here. After all, they are dealing with a serial killer…

The Cons:

Forced crude dialogue at times…

The opening episode felt a little awkward at times because of the forced and explicit dialogue. I don’t know if the series was trying to be extra shocking, but people in real life don’t talk like this and it just felt unnatural. This calmed down as the episodes continued, however. The show was a lot more entertaining when it wasn’t trying so hard.

I also wasn’t a fan of some of the trippy daydreams/hallucinations. They felt mostly filler to me.

What happened in episode 6 (no spoilers) was completely unnecessary. It almost ruined the entire show for me, but I tried to move past it…

I also wanted more of a pop from the ending. Sure, it left things open for a new season if it gets picked up, but I guess I was looking for something a little more jaw-dropping to seal the deal.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!

Based on a True Story is a lot of fun and very easy to binge-watch. The chemistry between our three main leads is bloody magic and well worth your time.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Based on a True Story in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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