'56 Days' Review: Dove Cameron Officially Leaves Her Disney Era Behind in Prime Video's Erotic Thriller

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Dove Cameron in 56 Days

Published Feb 17, 2026, 12:01 PM EST

Jasneet Singh is a writer who finally has a platform to indulge in long rants about small moments on TV and film in overwhelming detail. With a literature background, she is drawn to the narrative aspect of cinema and will happily rave about her favorite characters. She is also waiting for the Ranger's Apprentice novels to be adapted... but the cycle of hope and disappointment every two years is getting too painful to bear.

The Disney Channel was the starting point for many big names, where some, like Sabrina Carpenter, hit gold in the music industry, while others, like Zac Efron, became a staple on the screen. One of the more underrated names to emerge from the channel is Dove Cameron, a beloved cast member from The Descendants, who also briefly achieved TikTok virality for her song, "Boyfriend," on her debut album. Like many Disney stars, transitioning from a child actor to more adult material can be a tough and scrutinized road, and Cameron's music slowly broaches this territory. Her latest endeavor, however, is a bolder step, with Prime Video's erotic thriller adaptation, 56 Days.

Cameron leads the series next to Avan Jogia (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City), and their wild, tantalizing physical chemistry is the foundation of the show's murder mystery. Adapted from a novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Howard, the eight-episode season (all of which was provided for review) uses a non-linear timeline to tell its tale of intrigue, lies, and lust, all boiling down to the bones of a murder — literally. It explores how destructive secrets can really be to a relationship and does so with compelling psychological tension and steamy anticipation.

What Is '56 Days' About?

56 Days starts with a tale as old as time: boy meets girl at a grocery store, and they fall helplessly in love. Oliver (Jogia) strikes up a conversation with Ciara (Cameron) about her NASA tote bag, and they bond over their love for astronomy, but little do they know that 56 days later, their whirlwind romance will lead to murder. Cut to the present timeline, where Detectives Lee (Karla Souza) and Karl (Dorian Missick) investigate a body in a swanky company apartment, which had been sitting in chemicals in a bathtub until all the flesh was dissolved from the bones.

The series flits between the torrid love affair and the unfolding murder mystery, where the audience slowly unravels the truth behind the murder. Since only the bones remain, identifying the corpse is a time-consuming process, making everyone in the past a potential victim. But secrets hug every nook and cranny of this series, pricking the air with their poisonous thorns and allowing the venom to run its course until they culminate in emotional necrosis. So, when truths are finally revealed, who will survive?

'56 Days' Beautifully Pairs Psychological Tension With Eroticism

Any good mystery needs strong plotting, and it would be easy to assume that 56 Days has a crutch in relying on its source material. However, the show substantially deviates from the novel, but fear not, book readers, it does so with equally devastating and riveting catharsis. Whether you are a newcomer to the story or are revisiting it via its screen adaptation, there will certainly be jaw-dropping moments built up with the right amount of palpable suspense. In that sense, the show remains faithful to the book's psychological tension, which is maintained through every flirty exchange or secret rendezvous. The atmosphere is as sinister as it is sizzling, building an allure that is impossible to resist even as the characters we fawn over reveal their ulterior motives.

While most changes made to the story are spoilers, out of those that are not, the shifts in the setting and narrator are hugely beneficial to the show. The book was originally set in Dublin during the COVID-19 lockdown, explaining away the escalating intensity and immediacy of Oliver's and Ciara's relationship. However, the show moves the tale to present-day Boston, stripping away the isolation of lockdown with someone while allowing the secrets and chemistry to be the driving force of the ensuing chaos. Similarly, shifting the main perspective from Detective Lee to the passionate couple makes for a more volatile viewing experience, as they are both deliciously unreliable narrators.

Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) beside an Edgar Allen Poe mask on 'The Following'.

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That said, changing the main POV also unbalances the storytelling, especially as 56 Days can't seem to decide whether to commit to its supporting cast or not. Although Lee and Karl have fundamental roles in the murder mystery, their personal lives and their contributions to the show's thematic commentary become secondary. The secrets they hide from each other as professional partners and close friends are just as intriguing as the central couple's, but not as fleshed out. What makes this a shame is Souza's phenomenal performance as the rough-and-tumble, hilarious, and quietly erotic reprieve 56 Days needed more of. She consistently balances Lee's wry exterior and self-destructive habits, while giving the jaded character some much-needed emotional texture.

Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia Give Strong Individual Performances in '56 Days'

Avan Jogia as Oliver Kennedy and Dove Cameron as Ciara Wyse in '56 Days.'

The show's changes to the source material are accompanied by some strange early decisions. It seems like 56 Days is catering to the fans of the book in the beginning, as it reveals some of its cards too early, ones that readers would already be familiar with. If you're a newcomer to the story, these reveals are weirdly timed, as the show doesn't give you enough time to invest in the characters' attraction and chemistry before throwing curveballs. It's worsened by a stark lack of verbal chemistry between Cameron and Jogia, especially in critical early scenes. Look, their physical chemistry is consistently off-the-charts (arguably, that's what matters more in an erotic thriller), but the ease with which they exchange flirty banter or intense dialogue gradually progresses throughout the show. It's wild that Oliver and Ciara's romance isn't quite believable in the beginning, since it undercuts the sentiment of obsession, but with time, the show recovers.

That lack of early romantic chemistry is not a testament to the leads' individual performances by any means — during their own scenes, they flourish. Jogia ensures Oliver is constantly on the verge of a psychological spiral, and especially delivers a strong depiction of insomnia. Burdened by the guilt of his secrets, Oliver desperately searches for any means of relief, from yoga to pharmaceuticals, aided by his off-putting psychiatrist (Patch Darragh). Meanwhile, some of Cameron's scenes are practically soulful, as she delivers mesmerizing monologues about falling in love with astronomy, then immediately pivots to a line with a hard, cutting edge. She's a more mature version of the playfully wicked teenager she played in The Descendants, evolving into something more cutthroat, deceptive, and irresistible.

Despite some mishaps in the first episodes, 56 Days knows exactly where it's going and how much it wants to break viewers' hearts while getting there. There are still plenty of surprises for fans of the novel, ones that delve into deeper emotional and moral nuance without erasing any of the major themes of the source material, while retaining a steadfast hold on the suspense and steaminess the book excels in. As for new arrivals, this is a face-fanning journey you won't want to miss, for all its explorations into how secrets threaten every breath of a relationship.

Release Date February 18, 2026

Network Prime Video

Directors Alethea Jones

Writers Lisa Zwerling, Karyn Usher, Catherine Ryan Howard

Cast

Pros & Cons

The show has a psychologically tense and immersive atmosphere, thanks to strong plotting.
Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia's individual performances relay the emotional nuance of personal secrets.
Karla Souza delivers a standout performance that breathes fresh air into the intensity of the show.

The storytelling can be unevenly balanced and paced, especially towards the beginning.
Cameron and Jogia take time to build romantic chemistry, which is inconsistent with the genre.

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