Netflix's 'The Beast in Me': Deconstructing Power, Privilege and Missing Women
Netflix's latest thriller The Beast in Me presents itself as entertainment, yet beneath its glossy surface lies a troubling reflection of systemic inequalities that permeate both the entertainment industry and broader society. The series centres around a reclusive author, Aggie Wiggs, grappling with profound loss whilst becoming fixated on her mysterious neighbour, property tycoon Nile Jarvis, once suspected in his wife's disappearance.
Interrogating the Male Gaze in Thriller Narratives
The casting choices reveal the industry's persistent privileging of established, predominantly white actors. Claire Danes, portraying author Aggie, brings her considerable cultural capital as a three-time Emmy winner. Her previous role in Homeland notably reinforced post-9/11 surveillance state narratives that disproportionately targeted Muslim communities.
Matthew Rhys, cast as the potentially predatory Nile Jarvis, represents another iteration of the complex white male antihero archetype. His previous work in The Americans romanticised Cold War espionage whilst obscuring the real violence of American imperialism globally.
Missing Women, Present Patriarchy
The central premise of a missing wife reduces women to plot devices, perpetuating harmful tropes about female expendability. Brittany Snow's Nina exists primarily as an absent catalyst for male character development, whilst the narrative focuses on the wealthy property developer who benefits from systems of extraction and displacement.
Property development, Nile's profession, represents a particularly insidious form of capitalism that displaces working-class communities, often disproportionately affecting BIPOC families and other marginalised groups. The series risks romanticising this exploitation through its thriller framework.
Representation and Its Limitations
Whilst the casting includes actors like Natalie Morales and Hettienne Park, their roles as supporting characters reflect the industry's tokenistic approach to diversity. Morales, playing Aggie's ex-wife, provides LGBTQIA+ representation, yet within a narrative structure that centres heteronormative dynamics.
The inclusion of Jonathan Banks and other established actors demonstrates how Hollywood's gerontocracy maintains power structures that exclude younger, more diverse voices from accessing leading roles and creative control.
Decolonising Entertainment Consumption
As audiences, we must critically examine how thriller narratives like The Beast in Me perpetuate systems of oppression whilst masquerading as progressive entertainment. The series' focus on wealthy, predominantly white characters navigating interpersonal drama obscures more pressing issues of structural violence affecting marginalised communities.
Rather than consuming content uncritically, viewers might consider supporting independent creators from underrepresented backgrounds who centre authentic stories of resistance, healing, and community building.
Netflix's algorithmic recommendation systems further entrench these problematic narratives, creating echo chambers that reinforce dominant cultural perspectives whilst marginalising alternative voices and stories.
The Beast in Me ultimately serves as a mirror reflecting our society's continued investment in narratives that centre privilege whilst rendering invisible the experiences of those most affected by systemic oppression.