"Deeply absorbing" crime thriller branded a "classic" gets surprise update from Netflix

If you were a fan of The Beast in Me when it premiered on Netflix in November, then we have some good news for you. Despite originally being billed as a limited series, the streamer has confirmed that it will return for a second season.

The first season of the crime thriller saw Claire Danes portray Aggie Wiggs, a struggling author suffering from writer's block. She soon gets inspiration from next-door neighbour Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a real estate agent accused of murdering his first wife.

It has now been confirmed that the popular crime thriller will return with a follow-up season, with Danes - who also serves as an executive producer on the series - set to reprise her role as Aggie.

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"We always told ourselves we'd only do a second season of The Beast in Me if we found a story that was worthy of the first - and I'm thrilled to say we found it," said showrunner Howard Gordon (via Tudum).

"We loved making this show and our audience seemed to love watching it, so we're enormously grateful to Jinny Howe and Netflix, and to Karey Burke and 20th Television for giving us the chance to get the band back together and do it again."

Howe, Head of Scripted Series at Netflix, said in a statement: "We are thrilled to bring back The Beast in Me and to welcome Howard Gordon to the Netflix family with this creative partnership.

"The series captivated global audiences, delivered extraordinary performances… We can't wait for audiences to see what Howard and [co-showrunner] Daniel Pearle have in store for the next season."

The Beast in Me garnered acclaim upon its release, with Rhys winning a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series currently has an approval rating of 85% from 71 reviews.

In Digital Spy's four-star review of the crime thriller, we called it "deeply absorbing" as we praised the central performances, noting: "Danes and Rhys are the perfect scene partners, inviting you to lock in to the intense dance they've unwittingly begun."

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"The series is instead more slow-burning in its bloodlust, taking time to ensure that the uneasy atmosphere that is created is well and truly solidified before cranking up the danger," we added.

The Times was also full of praise in a five-star review, writing: "It's a classic thriller executed with such panache that at times you feel you're in the middle of someone's nervous breakdown. But you won't want to look away for a second."

The Beast in Me streams on Netflix.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.