3 reasons Harlan Coben’s The Stranger should be your next Netflix binge-watch

Harlan Coben’s The Stranger is Netflix’s latest slow-burn thriller series and their third Coben adaptation. Is it worth your time?

What would you do if a random person approached you and told you something that threatened to upend your entire life? That’s the concept of Netflix‘s latest thriller, adapted from Harlan Coben’s book, The Stranger.

If the name “Harlan Coben” sounds familiar, that’s because Netflix has previously adapted two of his other novels, Safe, and The Five, to varying degrees of success. I can’t speak on those series but I was impressed with The Stranger. The following list details the top three reasons you should check it out.

3. It’s very good at building tension.

The first episode introduces us to Adam Price, played by Richard Armitage. Adam is a seemingly happy family man with two sons of his own. But his entire world is flipped on its axis when a mysterious stranger (played by Ant-Man and the Wasp star Hannah John-Kamen) approaches him in public to tell him a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne.

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Despite his immediate desire to forget what she said, Adam can’t help but follow up on what the stranger told him. Unfortunately, his worst fears are confirmed and he unwittingly stumbles upon a dangerous conspiracy that goes deeper than he could have ever imagined.

2. The twists are actually surprising.

There is a surprising moment involving an alpaca in the first episode. I won’t elaborate any further. But seriously, this series has some shocking twists and turns.

At times, it can get a little confusing because there are a lot of subplots and characters to keep track of, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whenever you think the show is headed in one direction, it makes a sharp turn the opposite way.

1. The acting is fantastic and the characters are genuinely interesting.

Armitage and John-Kamen are excellent in their roles as is the rest of the cast including actors like Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Anthony Head, Siobhan Finneran, Jennifer Saunders, and more. Plus, the characters are interesting, everyone is hiding something.

You never know what sordid detail is going to be revealed next and you’ll find yourself getting drawn deeper and deeper into the twisted web in the hopes you can learn the truth once and for all, just like everyone involved in the show.

Have you watched The Stranger on Netflix? Are you planning to check out the new thriller? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Season one of The Stranger is currently available on Netflix.