Paradise review: A political thriller that blurs lines with sci-fi

James Cox

*There are spoilers in this article if you haven't seen Paradise*

With the world feeling more and more like a dystopian nightmare every day, political thrillers aren't quite what they used to be.

However, Paradise manages to blend the political thriller with a mind-bending sci-fi concept.

Warning: The aforementioned spoilers are coming here.

The series is set in an almost too idyllic 'Paradise', a tight-night community that has echoes of The Truman Show.

It stars Sterling K Brown and James Marsden.

Brown plays Xavier Collins, a secret service agent who is the main protector of former president Cal Bradford (Marsden).

After Bradford is brutally murdered, Collins is thrust into the centre of a mystery that has ramifications for everyone living in Paradise.

Soon it becomes apparent that the murder is just the tip of the iceberg.

The real power in the community centres around tech billionaire Samantha Redmond, who goes by 'Sinatra' (played by Julianne Nicholson).

Other key players who add to the intrigue of the story are Nicole Robinson (Krys Marshall), another secret service agent who has many secrets of her own, and Dr Gabriela Torabi (Sarah Shahi), a psychotherapist and grief specialist.

There are eight parts to the Hulu series, roughly an hour each, and they will certainly leave viewers wanting more.

All the episodes are action-packed, but the penultimate episode 'The Day' has an argument for the best hour of TV of the year.

A second season of Paradise has already been confirmed, and if the twists and turns in season one, it will be a must-watch.

All eight episodes of Paradise are available to watch on Disney+