Nocturne Review
Director: Rowan Joffé
Date Created: 2026-10-30 01:58
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Nocturne Review: Created by Rowan Joffé and based on the Joona Linna novels The Sandman and Lazarus by Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril, the Apple TV+ psychological thriller stars Liev Schreiber as Jonah Lynn, Zazie Beetz as Saga Bauer, Stephen Graham as Jurek Walter, alongside Rory Culkin, Bill Camp, Chrissy Metz, Poorna Jagannathan, Gary Carr, Landon Valentin and others.
Nocturne Review
Apple TV+ series Nocturne revolves around Jonah Lynn, an ex-homicide detective haunted by personal tragedies, who experiences yet another shock in his life as Michael Frost comes back into the picture after going missing three years ago. Jonah had been investigating the case of Michael’s disappearance along with his sister, Felicia. It was believed that the serial killer Jurek Walter had abducted them both. But the issue here is that Jurek is already in prison.
With Michael back in the picture, a disturbing issue is raised regarding the possibility of survival despite the murderer being behind bars and the disappearance of his sister. Agent Saga Bauer of the FBI, who sees Jonah as her mentor, takes a risky decision of becoming undercover within the institution to be closer to Jurek. What ensues is a struggle of patience and suspicion. Just because one is incarcerated does not mean that he is the one with no power left.
What appeals to me about Apple TV+’s Nocturne right now is the understanding of something that many crime thrillers seem to miss, which is the fact that an antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be running around with a gun to scare people. Some of the scariest antagonists are those who stay in their locked rooms and scare people in there. Jurek Walter is one of those characters. Having been found guilty of committing some of the most atrocious acts ever, he still casts a threatening shadow over the whole investigation that cannot be accurately assessed.
The best thing about the Apple TV+ Nocturne series is Stephen Graham. The feeling that one gets when Jurek can remain calm while everyone else tries to figure out what his motives are is quite disturbing. Jurek does not have to say anything or threaten anyone in order to cause the situation that he wants to cause. The biggest strength of Jurek lies in the fact that he understands human weaknesses perfectly well. He is capable of making other people doubt themselves, sympathise with him, and even think that it would not hurt to help him. It is much more disturbing than a villain who is all about violence.
The young nurse Karl, whose vulnerability to Jurek’s manipulation makes him an especially intriguing character, is a great example of this kind of character setup. The combination of his inexperience and compassion predisposes him to the influence of a person who has been working on his skill to control others for several years now. It is irritating to see how a person comes into a situation with the best of intentions and gradually starts to give away the information that he should not have disclosed, but at the same time, it makes this plot very realistic.
Liev Schreiber’s Jonah is no less significant, since the investigation is not just one more assignment for him. All previous losses have made Jonah bear the burden of grief which is yet to find peace in his heart, and now Michael reminds him of another case which has already cost him very dearly. I like the fact that his drive has its price in the form of vulnerability, which does not make Jonah a natural detective. Every piece of information that he finds is of personal importance to him, and his obsession with Felicia makes it hard for him to distinguish common sense from the desperate attempts of a man who has lost his way too much.
Zazie Beetz’s Saga adds a completely new dynamic to the story. While her move of going undercover in order to get more information on Jurek proves how determined she can be in her quest, at the same time she is creating a very risky conflict within herself. She is educated in searching for people like Jurek, but by choosing to go to this institution, she is willingly exposing herself to the great psychological dominance he has there. Even her professional self-confidence does not save her from any weaknesses, and this is the element that makes her so interesting. It is nice that she is not just standing next to Jonah waiting for him to find out all the answers.
The interaction between Jonah and Saga also brings an element of emotion into the story, which prevents the investigation from becoming too clinical. While Jonah’s protective attitude is understandable considering all the things that have happened to him, Saga also has her own opinion about risk. The two opposing sides will cause some tension regardless of the main enigma. Neither one of the characters has to be completely right for the conflict to be interesting, and I want to see whether they can still trust each other during the investigation.
But the 2026 Nocturne series does have some faults. The slow-paced nature of this show can sometimes be a nuisance to me, especially when the show drags out the mystery rather than giving its characters the opportunity to come to terms with what they’re dealing with. While there is a fine line between creating suspense by not revealing certain things and dragging a scene for no reason, thus decreasing the suspense, the show is often on the brink of this. More emphasis should be put on the psychological impact of this ordeal for the Frost family as well.
However, what I find most enjoyable in this Nocturne series is how the investigation becomes more about something other than finding a criminal. The incarceration of Jurek presents a unique case where there is knowledge that the threat comes from someone specific, although it may be difficult to provide a full explanation as to the level of his control. This gives the plot an entirely new twist compared to that of a traditional murder mystery. It is not just about discovering the truth, but about doing it without falling into the trap of manipulation.
Netflix Nocturne Review: Summing Up
Overall, having seen just the first two episodes of Nocturne thus far, I find myself becoming quite invested in the characters as well as the eerie mystery that surrounds Michael and Felicia. While I feel that the pacing can be somewhat improved, I would love to see the show continue to build on both the emotional and psychological aspects of it. However, with Stephen Graham’s creepy acting, Liev Schreiber’s damaged yet determined nature, and Zazie Beetz’s ballsy portrayal of Saga, this is one show that is definitely worth watching.
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