‘Cape Fear’ Review: Javier Bardem Gets His Hooks Into a Pulpy Spin on the Southern Gothic Thriller

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It’s hard to replace Robert Mitchum.

The Golden Age icon of beguiling villainy was the first actor to embody Max Cady onscreen, and Mitchum made such a mesmeric impression, it’s stuck to the character like sap from a poisoned peach. As “Cape Fear’s” (wrongly) released convict with an axe to grind, Mitchum carried Cady with a patient swagger; he savored every second spent antagonizing Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), the principled attorney who put him away, taking a twisted satisfaction from the knowledge his initial provocations weren’t enough to send him back to prison, and even more pleasure in baiting the goody-two-shoes into breaking the law he’d spent his life defending.

J. Lee Thompson’s 1962 film asks what’s an honest man to do when the rules and regulations built to protect him aren’t enough; when they’re undermined by a force so slippery and determined that it not only eludes justice, but defiles the innocent. (Bowden’s family is a target, too.) Mitchum embodied that concept so well, the next man to play Cady — Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake — could only go bigger.

His take on Cady turns Mitchum’s familiar, even seductive, sleazeball into an extravagant monster; the kind of bad dude whose mere presence sends you across the street, out of the bar, or into hiding. That he’s coming for a version of Samuel Bowden (Nick Nolte) who’s as morally weak as he is physically impotent complicates Scorsese’s moral message. What is a flawed but God-fearing man to do when facing the wrath of a literal Devil?

In its largely disastrous second half, Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” settles for the same faulty loophole Bruce Wayne finds in “Batman Begins” — “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you” is not an argument any Catholic God would consider — and De Niro’s performance burns out faster than a five-cent cigar. He’s a demon, but a cartoon demon; audiences may remember his sheer lunacy, but there’s not enough under the surface to linger in the souls of tortured, tempted men.

Cady’s onscreen devolution had me worried about Apple’s expansion of “Cape Fear” into a 10-hour limited series. Not only does it fit the perilous trend of movie-to-TV remakes propped up by starry ensembles and stretched well beyond their storytelling limits, but showrunner Nick Antosca’s adaptation frames itself as a direct descendent of Scorsese’s film. It’s “inspired by” his remake (per all of Apple’s press releases), and the voice of Hugo Durant himself is attached as an executive producer (along with Steven Spielberg, who also produced the 1991 film under Amblin Entertainment). It also incorporates those eerie X-ray shots and plenty of extreme, red-tinted close-ups of human eyeballs.

So it’s a relief, of sorts, to report “Cape Fear (2026) is a more balanced synthesis of its past iterations, while adding plenty of its own modern flourishes. Antosca’s version is indeed wild, taking its horror cues from Scorsese’s violent vision in a number of stomach-turning scenes, but it’s also a much slower burn compared to the rapidly paced 1991 film, investing far more time in family drama and character backstories. A slew of current themes slide through the first eight episodes, as well, from the rise of true-crime docs and amateur sleuths to catfishing, the masculinity crisis, and even artificial intelligence. (None are too thoroughly explored, though — this “Cape Fear” prioritizes pulp, just in time for summer.)

What holds it all together (through eight of the 10 episodes, at least, which is all that were provided for review and exactly when the narrative threatens to go off the rails) is Javier Bardem. The latest Max Cady isn’t just the ideal amalgamation of his previous performers — capable of maximizing his enchanting menace in a big, broad manner (“Skyfall”), just as he can shrink it down to a potent, precise timbre (“No Country for Old Men”) — he’s also skilled enough to dole out Cady’s demons in ways that best serve the series. When the action is big, his acknowledgement of it is small. When the meaning matters more than the moment it’s housed in, he can expand his presence enough to make sure you remember. His encapsulation of Cady is finely layered to fit a serialized arc, even when it’s gruesome, gonzo showmanship.

'Cape Fear' stars Amy Adams as Anna Bowden in the series adaptation on Apple TV

The rest of “Cape Fear” is a bit drawn out, sure, and plenty silly, but it’s unapologetic entertainment — despite the stars, this isn’t another “Sharp Objects” (nor is it diverting trash like “Monster”). Bolstered by its cast and craft work, including an enviable roster of directors, including Reed Morano, SJ Clarkson, Stephen Williams, Morton Tyldum, Amanda Marsalis, and Trey Edward Shults, “Cape Fear” features clever allusions to the movies (from Cady’s terrifying cheek bite to his sly “fingers and toes” speech), heavy use of Bernard Herrmann’s unbeatable score (reworked by Elmer Bernstein in 1991 and now with original music by Jeff Russo), and twists so juicy that even if you see them coming, they still land (most of them, anyway).

For those unfamiliar with the book and films that inspired Antosca’s adaptation, a) I apologize for taking this long to acknowledge you, and b) don’t worry — the references are fun to clock if you’re looking for them, but they by no means act as a barrier to newcomers. That being said, I can’t describe much of the plot without violating Apple’s spoiler agreement, so a succinct encapsulation will have to do:

When Max Cady gets out of prison, Anna (Amy Adams) and Tom Bowden (Patrick Wilson) are living the good life. She’s a former trial attorney who now works for a nonprofit trying to free unjustly convicted inmates, and he’s still practicing law for a coveted firm filled with rich, high-profile clients.

Their kids aren’t quite as comfortable. Zack (Joe Anders) is depressed and isolated after an incident at school, and Natalie (Lily Collias) is sick and tired of being the “perfect daughter” while her parents coddle her selfish brother. She’s due for a rebellion, and he’s on the edge of disaster.

Gee, who might come along and push them over the edge?

Wilson and Collias (who you may recognize from “Roofman”) are fantastic, and “Cape Fear” benefits greatly from its deep cast (CCH Pounder plays Anna’s money-hungry boss, Jamie Hector is her formerly incarcerated colleague, and Ron Perlman shows up late as Max Cady’s very bad dad)… even if every cast member doesn’t always benefit from the show. Adams is great, but she’s not being challenged like she was in “Sharp Objects” (her last TV series) or even “Nightbitch” (her latest film), and her character has yet to overcome nagging stereotypes associated with working women in movies and television. How it all ends will go a long way to deciding whether her latest Southern gothic thriller is a downgrade or lateral move from her last one.

For now, though, I’m somewhat optimistic. “Cape Fear” depends far more on Max Cady than any of the Bowdens, and Bardem’s approach to the character isn’t just the best since Mitchum first brought him to life; it’s the best for this version of the story.

Enjoy the summer.