Forget Bridget Jones, This Renée Zellweger Crime Drama Will Become Your Next Guilty Pleasure
While there's no doubt that the iconic franchise will forever hold a special place in our hearts, it's time to give the actress a chance to prove she can pull it off in a true-crime series.
Renée Zellweger is no stranger to being a fan favorite, and the fact that the fourth installment of the iconic Bridget Jones franchise premiered last month proves that perfectly.
Of course, she has other powerful films to her name, including Judy, Chicago, Cold Mountain and more, but you may not have heard of the Zellweger project we are about to tell you about.
One of her latest works, The Thing About Pam, is a true crime drama based on real events in which the actress plays the titular role of Pam Hupp, a woman whose involvement in several deaths sparked a national scandal.
The Thing About Pam Has a Perfect Tone For a Real-Life-Based Crime Drama
The series is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, a case that initially seemed straightforward but soon turned into something far more sinister. Pam Hupp, a friend of the victim, was at the center of it all. As the investigation unfolded, a web of lies, deceit, and manipulation popped up, making it one of the most intriguing crime stories of the decade.
Zellweger portrays Pam Hupp with an unsettling mix of charm and menace, capturing the character's ability to deceive everyone around her (and get away with it). It's a role that requires a great deal of depth, and Zellweger delivers it with ease. There is no hint of the lovable, awkward Bridget Jones here. Pam is a woman whose innocence is as deceptive as her motives.
“I didn’t know anything about the case, so I appreciated the different kind of tone it’s going for as a TV show. I think Renee Zellweger and Josh Duhamel are doing a great job, and I enjoyed the “flashback” scenes to Pam growing up, her mom seems particularly awful,”
Redditor dasheeshblahzen said.
The Thing About Pam Didn’t Get the Love It Deserved
While this transformation marks one of the most remarkable shifts in Zellweger's career and showcases her range as an actress, the series has not been as successful as one might think given its premise and casting choices. The show holds only a 46% Rotten Tomatoes score, which for some may serve as a disclaimer of an unworthy binge.
But we ask you to give this 2022 drama miniseries a chance, especially if you're not that familiar with the real-life case it's based on, because we promise you every twist in the case is as shocking as the last and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's the guilty pleasure show you never knew you needed.
The Thing About Pam is available to stream on Peacock.
