While suburbs are often picturesque, filled with manicured lawns and friendly people, there's often more to suburbs than meets the eye. In Starz's six-part psychological thriller Couples Next Door (which will premiere on Channel 4 in the UK in 2023), a young couple is happy to put down roots in the suburbs of Leeds, England. Peter (Alfred Enoch, How to Get Away with Murder) and Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) are excited to start a new chapter in their lives. Still, they don't expect to strike up a friendship with neighbors Danny (Outlander star Sam Heughan) and Becca (Jessica De Gouyo) that will change their relationship and their lives forever. . Based on the Dutch series Nieuwe Buren, written by David Allison, the show is watchable, sexy, and completely ridiculous. "

"The Couple Next Door" opens with a bang. A gunshot rang out in the woods, and soon after, a barefoot Evie was seen running through the woods, with Pete, Danny and Becca following her. In retrospect, viewers meet Pete and Evie on the day they move into the complex. When friendly and energetic yoga instructor/influencer Becca sees Pete struggling to unload a moving truck, she immediately offers her services to her police officer husband Danny. From that moment on, a bond formed between the couple. Even though Evie and Pete have been in a stable relationship for over a decade, school teacher Evie is intrigued by Becca and Danny's obvious passion. Their electricity awakened a sensuality within her that longed to be explored. However, reporter Pete is happy with the status quo of their ordinary marriage.

The show focuses on the increasingly tense sexual relationship between the four, especially after a weekend derailment at the spa. Alison also fleshes out the narrative with several other storylines. Danny and his colleague Gary (Joel Morris) are involved in a drama involving a local gang. Unfortunately, the plot was never fleshed out. Additionally, Danny is forced to confront some skeletons from his past. While it's clear he's not perfect, his choices lean toward soap opera territory and could have been scaled back a bit to be more realistic. Also, the random addition of a Christian cult falls squarely into trash beach reading territory.

There's also an intense subplot involving another neighbor. Alan (played by Hugh Dennis) is an older man who develops an unhealthy obsession with Becca. The consequences of his delusions show how often women are punished for men's misdeeds. If not for the cop drama narrative, it would have focused on the roots of Allen's obsession, his marriage to his long-suffering wife Jane (Kate Robbins), and why an entire suburban community seems to be devoid of feminist and progressive women , this pastime might be richer. (Of course, not every millennial in Leeds is deeply offended by the idea of ​​sex work.)

Although the plot is extremely thin, the actors' performances (even with Heughan's choppy Australian accent) hold the show together. Although the actors have very little to work with, the feelings of pain, betrayal, longing, and desire are all palpable. Enoch flies as a man who cannot fully adapt to his life. Heughan is sharp as a hypermasculine cop who wants to do the right thing but relies on his coping mechanisms of avoidance and emotional withdrawal. Perhaps Tomlinson's greatest assignment is portraying a woman trying to step outside the expectations placed on her while trying to heal from the trauma of her past. However, De Gouw truly shines in this series. She's charming and quick, lending real depth to a woman who might otherwise be a cliché, cookie-cutter "hot" mom.

While the show has its predictable (and ridiculous) parts—including its seeming desire for viewers to see Enoch as an average-looking guy—the chemistry between the actors is sizzling throughout. Showing relationship breakdown, non-monogamy, etc. due to an unwillingness or inability to communicate effectively makes up for the more puzzling narrative missteps. Ultimately, "The Couple Next Door" isn't a revelation, but it's still a fun, guilty little treat.

"Couples Next Door" will premiere on Starz on January 17, with new episodes dropping every Friday.