Cross premiered on Prime Video, so do critics think this new drama is worth watching?
Created by James Patterson for his debut 1993 novel Along Came A Spider, Alex Cross has become one of the greatest heroes in fiction. Patterson has written over 30 novels featuring the detective, who specializes in tracking anything from serial killers to even government conspiracies, using his insight into criminals for an edge.
The character has been adapted to movies with Morgan Freeman in adaptations of Spider and Kiss the Girls and Tyler Perry in 2012's Alex Cross. Now, Prime Video has a new series set with Aldis Hodge as Cross, who's overcoming the murder of his wife while tracking a new killer.
The series has an original story not based on any Patterson novel, yet it seems to be an intriguing and moody new take on the property. Overall, we thought the first season was great! But do critics think it's worth the watch?
What are critics saying about Cross?
Currently, the series holds a Rotten Tomatoes critical score of 69% off 16 reviews. There isn't an audience score yet, with the show having just premiered.
The RT critical consensus is "Cross' case for itself isn't closed just yet, but the commanding Aldis Hodge makes for the most arresting embodiment of James Patterson's literary creation yet." It appears most of the positive reviews aren't quite lavish praise, yet do give kudos for Hodges' performance. And we do have to agree that the actor really does do a great job in the role!
When it comes to critics of other outlets, there's been mixed reviews about the show. Aramide Tinbu of Variety raved, "With Hodge at the center and Watkins at the helm, Cross is a crime drama boasting several astonishing curveballs. A detective story at its core, the series gracefully addresses the anguish of grief, toxic masculinity and the pitfalls of obsessions."
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg gave a slightly backward compliment of "Though Hodge's grounded center singlehandedly keeps the drama watchable throughout, the material around him is exploitative, frustratingly trashy, and absolutely destined to be a hit."
Other critics were less kind, with Nick Schager of The Daily Beast saying the show is "undone by the same sort of distension that plagues so many modern television offerings." Liam Matthews of TV Guide reported, "Cross lacks a certain vigor. It makes safe choices instead of interesting ones."
As of yet, the audience score isn't in, so it's hard to tell how viewers feel on the show. There's so many times where a Rotten Tomatoes score and critic reviews aren't good, but viewers think the opposite. And really at the end of the day, I think it's the audience's opinion that matters the most. They're the ones who provide the views after all. As it stands, it appears the series may be good but not great according to RT and some critics, yet still watchable for Hodge and worth checking out for fans of cop thrillers. What did you think?
Cross is now streaming on Prime Video.