Based On A True Story Review: Killer Concept, Weak Execution

If there's one thing modern American audiences can't resist, it's the story of a good old-fashioned serial killer. And there's a lot to unpack there — why are we drawn to these horrific, gruesome narratives? A lot of it boils down to how we experience danger. A podcast about true crime, for example, allows us a small, tantalizing taste of something forbidden and taboo, while keeping us safe and secure from any actual harm. But in "Based on a True Story," the lines are blurred when a suburban couple from Los Angeles inadvertently uncover the identity of an active serial killer but, rather than turning him in to the police, decide to make a true crime podcast with him. It's a clever satire on the popularity of the genre, but it's also not without its flaws. More than anything, it feels like a show that would have really benefitted from a longer first season, expanding beyond its eight-episode run to fully flesh out its ideas and characters.

Nathan Bartlett (Chris Messina) is a washed-up tennis star, reduced to watching YouTube videos of the time he beat Roger Federer while sitting on the toilet. Now, he's holding down a job at a swanky Beverly Hills country club, where he's steadily losing clients to a much younger tennis instructor. Ava Bartlett (Kaley Cuoco) is a true crime-obsessed mom-to-be, desperately trying to keep the spark alive with her emotionally muted husband. Together, they're in a bit of a rut. And it certainly doesn't help that they're surrounded by their LA friends, whose lavish lives and casual affairs have them wondering if they're doing something wrong. 

But what better way to bring a marriage together than to cultivate a shared hobby? Say, for example, creating a true crime podcast with a known serial killer currently terrorizing the City of Angels. Since these kinds of shows sell like hotcakes, they're convinced that this idea will solve all their financial problems — if they can somehow manage to keep their pet serial killer on a leash, and stop him from killing again. Perhaps easier said than done?

The premise of this show makes it sound like a delight, but unfortunately, the execution doesn't quite live up to the concept. Although it's billed as a dark comedy, it doesn't always know how and when to be funny. Matt (Tom Bateman) is the clear standout of the case. As their resident plumber, he perfectly balances the inherent absurdity of the premise with its darker elements. Its more coherent comedy moments come when the show is getting shots in at the mini-ecosystem of true crime podcasts, culminating in a CrimeCon that is pitch-perfect. But they don't delve into this particularly often, choosing instead to focus on the logistics of their relationship with the serial killer. It casts a critical eye on the larger role of social media and hustle culture in society, but doesn't seem interested in examining this too closely either, beyond the admittedly funny premise of a serial killer being extremely protective of their brand.

A pretty significant issue with "Based on a True Story" is that the two leads — Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina — don't quite mesh together. They're both doing perfectly fine jobs individually, but they feel somehow misaligned — their energies are too different. They seem like they're acting in two different types of TV shows — one feels more suited for a multi-cam sitcom, while the other is a single-camera comedy. In a way, this kind of supports the idea that the two characters have a struggling marriage, but it also makes it a little more difficult for audiences to get on board with them as the anchor of the piece.

But by far the biggest problem with "Based on a True Story" has nothing to do with the quality of the project — the opposite, in fact. The first season of this show runs for a measly eight episodes, and most of those are on the short side (they vary in length, but there are some that don't even hit the 30-minute mark). "Based on a True Story" is a comedy, and the thing that will create audience attachment is spending enough time to develop a rapport with the characters. 

Some of the best comedies aren't massive successes right out of the gate — it often takes several episodes before viewers vibe with the characters enough to fully connect with the sense of humor. With only eight episodes, "Based on a True Story" never gets that chance — it's over before we've fully settled into the narrative. And with the way that streaming networks are canceling shows that don't immediately garner a passionate audience, it feels like setting the show up for failure when in reality, a lot of the issues it has could likely be resolved with a more traditional TV comedy run of 16-24 episodes.

"Based on a True Story" is undoubtedly a mixed bag. Where it succeeds in its clever concept and the perfect casting of Tom Bateman, it doesn't have enough time to be anything other than surface-level in its execution. There are chuckles here and there, but the end result is a dark comedy that, aside from a few bright points scattered throughout the series, struggles with its identity and suffers as a result. The usually delightful Chris Messina is muted here, and there's a lack of chemistry between him and Kaley Cuoco that could have otherwise given the show a boost.

"Based on a True Story" premieres on Peacock on June 8.