Cape Fear review: Apple TV's new adaptation is stylish, scary, and features Javier Bardem's best performance yet | Tech Radar

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Cape Fear review: Apple TV's new adaptation is stylish, scary, and features Javier Bardem's best performance yet

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Apple TV's Cape Fear is a truly terrifying take on the iconic story, featuring my favorite Javier Bardem performance yet. A few silly twists and turns aside, it's a solid adaptation that will likely stick with me.

+Javier Bardem's performance as Max Cady is outstanding

Javier Bardem's performance as Max Cady is outstanding

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Cape Fear was one of my most anticipated Apple TV shows of 2026, but I was also worried about it. Adapting such an iconic story is no easy task, as people will always end up comparing it to the original. That said, I was impressed by Nick Antosca's take on Max Cady and the terror he unleashes on everyone around him.

To give you a quick synopsis of Cape Fear, it follows Cady, a vicious and unreformed ex-convict who gets revenge on the two attorneys who put him behind bars. That's enough to send a chill down your spine, and it requires a really strong performance to stick the landing.

Fortunately, we get that thanks to Javier Bardem. It might be bold of me to say, but his take on Max Cady is my favorite thing he has ever done, because he left me feeling utterly terrified. Truly, he is deranged in this and brings so much to the role. A good villain is more than just scary, and he has it all: charm, charisma, and even certain moments where you feel sorry for him. It is a well-rounded, chilling performance indeed.

Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson star opposite him in great supporting roles as Anna and Tom Bowden, who are living an affluent and comfortable life when we first meet them. Nice house, nice pool, no deranged convict coming after them... yet.

When that threat does start looming, you're sure to be on the edge of your seat thanks to some superb tension building.

Amy Adams is terrorized by Javier Bardem in Cape Fear. (Image credit: Apple TV)

I loved a lot about Cape Fear, but I had the chance to review six episodes, and I'm not entirely convinced it needs to be as long as 10 episodes. I'm happy to be proven wrong with a mind-blowing finale, but I did notice it was starting to suffer from some pacing issues at certain points.

There are also a few silly twists that may cause some division between viewers, and many of these seem to have been added in to keep the momentum going when things started to run out of steam. This is the main issue I have with Cape Fear; outside of that, I've been very impressed.

While not billed as a horror, it does lean into elements I know and love about the genre. I was surprised by some genuinely effective scares throughout, as well as some shocking scenes. This series does not hold back; it is just as intense as the 1991 movie, in case you had any doubts.

On top of that, it's very stylish and well filmed, especially when it comes to the more jarring moments. The series is visually stunning and has a lot of picturesque sets to offset the horrible things that happen within them. It really highlights how quickly Cady rips through this family's life and ruins the comforts they have been enjoying. According to the eerie repetition in the teaser trailer, they deserve this.

I think Cape Fear benefits from its weekly release schedule, rather than a full season drop. This is the kind of show you'll want to savor and tune in for once a week, as it may be too intense to binge all in one go. Some scenes are sure to stick with you and haunt your dreams.

Overall, it's a solid adaptation, and they've assembled a great cast to bring the story to life. It feels like another big win for Apple TV, which has already dipped its toes into horror thanks to Widow's Bay. I'm really excited to see what's next for one of the best streaming services.

If the answer is more Max Cady, I would not complain at all.

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Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with Tech Radar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.

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• Cape Fear review: Apple TV's new adaptation is stylish, scary, and features Javier Bardem's best performance yet

• And you thought nothing could top No Country For Old Men, right