Based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Howard, Prime Video’s horny new erotic thriller series 56 Days arrives just as the genre has been experiencing quite the comeback. It trades pandemic-era Dublin for present-day Boston, but the whole premise would work no matter where it was set. Dove Cameron (Disney’s Descendants) and Avan Jogia (Now Apocalypse) lead an ensemble cast as Ciara and Oliver, respectively, two young lovers who connect after a random supermarket meet-cute. Neither are who they appear on a surface level. A dead body in an apartment bathtub, discovered 56 Days after the couple’s initial meeting, becomes the centerpiece as two cops attempt to unravel the truth. The rom-com vibes blend well with the psychological thriller elements. The first half especially thrives on paranoia and mutual manipulation. Oliver and Ciara both hide secrets, balanced by the intensity of their chemistry. The back half of the series though does not connect nearly as well. An investigation angle playing out in the present day ultimately feels disconnected. The procedural thread fizzles rather than pays off; still, there’s enough sexy drama in 56 Days to recommend a watch.
The structure alternates between “Day 56” and “Day 1” and onward, building towards a twisty exclamation mark. In this viewer’s opinion, that climax does not quite hit as it should, yet there are still a few bold strokes of storytelling and strong characterizations. Oliver and Ciara strike up a flirty connection almost immediately. He works in architecture, whilst she claims to work in tech support. Both are new to Boston. Their first date starts casually enough, and that same charge that glimmered in their first meeting grows stronger. Meanwhile, in present day, Detective Lee (Karla Souza, How to Get Away With Murder) and her hungover partner, Karl (Dorian Missick, Animal Kingdom), investigate the apartment with a nasty smell, discovering a decomposing corpse that could be key to the whole investigation. The time jumps are compelling at first, but neither Lee nor Karl add anything substantial to the story. Suspicion runs in both directions for Oliver and Ciara, making each moment we spend away from them feel a little empty in comparison.
For their parts, Jogia and Cameron take up the bulk of the screentime as subtle cracks begin to form for their characters. Both relish the complexities, especially Jogia. Oliver and Ciara both have specific motives in mind when it comes to their approach to the other party. Has a murder actually occurred? Is there genuine love in the air? Can these two possibly hope to keep their hands off each other between alleyway sexcapades, car blowjobs, and steamy exchanges of power in the comfort of Oliver’s cushy apartment? The erotic angle certainly lives up to the name as most of the episodes are peppered with them. Part of the drama that kept me invested was the identity of the corpse in the bathtub. The dynamic between Oliver and Ciara keeps shifting as one gains power over the other. Oliver’s mental state seems especially fragile as a secret from his past haunts his every waking moment. Ciara’s home life lingers over her time with Oliver as she ignores every red flag floating her way.
Unfortunately, the bathtub murder remains the sole interesting angle of the present day all the way till the end. Lee gets spun a narrative about bribery and coercion, and Karl’s family man angle is even more of a yawn. Souza was sensational as Laurel in How to Get Away with Murder, so what a shame to waste her in this manner. Secondary roles in the past timeline, such as Ciara’s fiery sister, Oliver’s annoying psychotherapist, and an incessant reporter, are far more engaging than either Lee or Karl. The creatives try to check off the boxes of potential murder suspects by slowly revealing who could be alive in this timeline. That doesn’t quite work, mainly because the obviousness of the victim’s identity comes down to just two or three options.
One of the best episodes of the series is the penultimate, which mostly consists of a flashback to decades prior, and finally gives viewers all the answers they have been waiting for. What a shame to go from such a high to mostly a shrug of an ending, tying everything up with far too neat of a bow. The rougher edges from the beginning, the sexiness, even the riveting cat-and-mouse character interplay, are all sanded down in that finale. If one can get past the let down of the ending itself, 56 Days acts as an excellent vehicle for Jogia and Cameron.
Uncover the psychology of a killer with 56 Days, unfolding across multiple timelines with all eight episodes premiering on Wednesday, February 18th, exclusively to Prime Video.
