What/If brings Renee Zellweger to the forefront of Netflix screens this weekend as she plays the impossibly wealthy businesswoman Anne Montgomery.
Anne is a being of mystery and subtlety. The show opens cold with a haunting Shakespearian monologue from Zellweger, and will entrance viewers in seconds.
After a hard cut, viewers are then introduced to their main protagonist of the show: Lisa Donovan (played by Jane Levy).
Lisa owns a pharmacy tech startup, in which she is seeking funding – but simply cannot find anyone to invest any money into her, or the business.
But as luck would have it, Lisa’s husband Sean Donovan (Blake Jenner) catches the eye of Anne in the bar he works at, and the three of them strike up a deal.
Anne agrees to give Lisa tens of millions of dollars in exchange for some stake in her business, and one other thing: One night alone with Sean.
The catch? Lisa and Sean can never discuss what went on that night, and if they do, the contract is forfeit, and Lisa loses her company to Anne outright.
While What/If introduces an interesting premise in the first two episodes, episodes three and four really drive the endless mystery into the ground.
Some scenes and strings of dialogue are undoubtedly well-crafted, intricately designed, and executed wonderfully – but it all feels a little empty.
While Lisa and Sean definitely have a lot to lose if they find out what is truly going on in Anne’s mind, it doesn’t seem like a priority.
Sean’s past comes back to haunt him at one point, and even though his tale is certainly a harrowing one that could be explored deeply, it is often brushed aside.
Although the plot sometimes feels a little frustrating to watch, all of the lead actors put on excellent performances – in particular Lisa actor Jane.
However no-one can outdo Zellweger in What/If.
Evoking the most incredible Miranda Priestly persona, Zellweger puts on perhaps one of her greatest performances yet.
Scathing, angry, vicious, and measured, Zellweger owns absolutely every scene she is in, and compels viewers to keep watching simply to lap up more of her Bond villain-esque screen time.
What’s more, Anne’s backstory in the first four episodes is barely touched upon, but is entirely enthralling.
With Zellweger as the star of the show, it would have made sense to place her story at the forefront of the show – as it looks to be the most interesting.
The twists and turns featured in What/If’s first half seem to lay the groundwork for what looks to be an elaborate story.
But with its slow start so far, viewers may struggle to make it through to the final episodes, despite Zellweger’s unbelievable performance.
What/If is available on Netflix now.