Synopsis: Neo-noir social thriller WHAT/IF explores the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things. The first season of the Netflix original series focuses on a mysterious woman's lucrative, but dubious offer to a cash-strapped pair of San Francisco newlyweds.
Review: While I am not exactly sure what a "neo-noir social thriller" actually is, What/If is best described by one of it's own characters in the first episode who calls an offer "an idea out of a bad 90s movie". Sexy, yes, in a tame sort of way, What/If takes a cue from films like INDECEPT PROPOSAL, DISCLOSURE, FATAL ATTRACTION, and BASIC INSTINCT and mixes it with the sexually diverse style of Netflix's other sexy series Sense8. From the trailers released so far, you can see that the cast is populated with young, attractive cast-members including Jane Levy, Blake Jenner, David Annable, and Daniella Pineda whose lives become intertwined with a mysterious benefactor played by Renee Zellweger. Well, that is a pretty fair synopsis and about as deep as this series dives.
Set in San Francisco, What/If comes from series creator Mike Kelley, best known for his ABC drama series Revenge. Executive produced by Robert Zemeckis with the first two episodes directed by Philip Noyce (PATRIOT GAMES, SALT), What/If is a curious series. Noyce's experience helming sexy thrillers like SLIVER and DEAD CALM seem like they would be ideal for informing a show that is all about sex, but instead this drama leans far too heavily on some of the most generic cliches I have seen in a long time. Roiling thunderclouds, superimposed faces over crackling fires, and darkly shot slow motion sex scenes that reveal virtually no nudity abound whereas we get a lot of angry talking about who did what to whom and where.
The central conceit of the series is that Anne Montgomery (Renee Zellweger) is a massively famous and rich woman who takes it upon herself to make Sean and Lisa Donovan (Blake Jenner and Jane Levy) an offer they cannot refuse. But, where INDECENT PROPOSAL focused more on the psychological fallout that an extramarital affair can have on a marriage, What/If goes off in a much more intricate and complex direction that connects not just Zellweger, Jenner, and Levy but a whole cast of supporting players. The bulk of the story focuses on Lisa's quest to turn her start-up into a fully funded company while Sean deals with trauma from a failed career in professional baseball coupled with secrets linked to his short temper.
Over the four episodes made available for review, we follow these main characters who get just slightly more screen time than the supporting cast but with no explanation as to why we should care about anything that is going on. There is a gay couple, a couple dealing with infidelity of their own, and then there is the mystery surrounding Anne Montgomery herself. A cross between Sharon Stone's sexy confidence in BASIC INSTINCT with a hint of Glenn Close's crazy from FATAL ATTRACTION, Zellweger portrays Montgomery as a broken character using a mask of confidence to mess with all of these young people. But, of course, her motivation runs deeper than needing sexual release and that is where the show goes completely off the rails.
While I can let slide the silly plot contrivances that pepper this series, it ultimately fails due to the poorly conceived characters. Jane Levy, a fine actress in films like DON'T BREATHE and the underrated series Suburgatory, wildly switches from shy nerd to confident businesswoman and over again within the span of an episode. While her character's backstory is fleshed out enough to make her an intriguing lead, her wilting demeanor at the outset makes it hard to believe her confidence opposite the formidable Anne Montgomery the next. Zellweger, to her credit, does a solid job in her role, but it is difficult to see her as more than a two-dimensional villain for most of her screen time. Between monologues, staring into the middle distance, and delivering lines like a slap in the face, Zellweger is the sole character who truly fits the world of this story, unfortunately no one else does.
What/If is a series designed to appeal to the same audiences as FIFTY SHADES OF GREY or tamer network material like ABC's soapy drama Revenge. Overall, What/If is an average enough time waster with enough intricacies and twists to please fans of Grey's Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder but not many others. This is a series that banks on being sexy, but is no edgier than the typical primetime programming on the big three networks. Overall, this is a nice chance for Renee Zellweger to play against type but not much else. If you have a hole in your binge schedule and enjoy a lightweight time-waster, this is the series for you. Everyone else, steer clear.
What/If premieres May 24th on Netflix.