Malice starring David Duchovny fails to impress audience with a poor Rotten Tomatoes score

Malice, the much-hyped six-part psychological thriller starring David Duchovny, dropped on Prime Video on November 14, 2025, and people had hoped it would be big. The series had all the ingredients it needed: a rich and mysterious father (Dushovny), a handsome but suspicious nanny (Jack Whitehall), a sun-drenched Greek villa, and a secret about to come to light.

Nevertheless, critics have not been impressed at all, regardless of the glamorous setting and the star-studded cast. The same thing is indicated by the 46% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes; Malice simply couldn't resonate with the audience the way many people wanted it to.

Rotten Tomatoes score for Malice

The rating Malice received on Rotten Tomatoes is one of the biggest issues it has faced so far. With 13 critic reviews, the Tomatometer rating of the show is at a low 46 percent. That is not “certified fresh”; it is at best lukewarm. And the situation has not improved with viewers. The initial viewer responses were quite negative, as some have labeled the show as trash or even worse.

The critics claim that Malice's narration feels like it is on autopilot. The dialogues are clumsy and full of heavy explanations, and numerous plot twists fail to hit the mark. The fact that Malice has a low critic score and most comments left by the audience are negative makes it appear the show is not connecting with the audience, despite its appearance of being a polished show.

What went wrong?

On paper, Malice should be a hit. David Duchovny stars as a broody family guy, Jack Whitehall plays the strange role of a creepy outsider, and the creator James Wood constructs everything around a neat revenge plot. Even entertainment outlets point out that Duchovny adds just the right combination of charm and danger to his character, Jamie Tanner.

But that is as far as the good news goes. According to critics, Malice dropped a few hints at the beginning of the show and then never bothered to resolve them afterward, almost as though the writers themselves had forgotten what they planted. The motivations are feeble, and the twists do not feel as weighty as they should when the story finally comes to its big moments. It is like observing a fancy Rube Goldberg machine awaiting to be switched on.

The tone is also problematic, as noted by the reviewers. Malice does not conform to a single style; it switches between dark comedy and melodrama instead of being a tight, gripping thriller. The show is without momentum, and you will be confused about whether it is trying to be funny or frightening. A show with great expectations and a sloppy performance cannot be rescued by even gifted actors, and this appears to be the biggest problem with Malice.

Audience and emotional stakes

A great thriller, a revenge thriller in particular, must be powered by powerful feelings. You need to be concerned about the characters, be threatened by the situation, and be interested in knowing why the villain is behaving the way he is. However, Malice does not deal with any of that. The reviews claim that the show has zero emotional stakes and never creates tangible tension between the hero and the villain. In the absence of such an emotional connection, the suspense fails to hit.

The performances may have rescued the show, yet even they are not enough. According to critics, there is a creepy, sinister nature to Whitehall, yet there is no direct or persuasive explanation for why he does what he does. Duchovny, who normally brings a lot of screen presence, does not have much to work with, since the story lacks emotional depth. The inability of the audience to identify with the characters causes the mystery to no longer be exciting, but a puzzle that is not worth solving.

And when some early viewers call it trash, it is evident that many people have not been impressed by the show. At this point, Malice appears to be having trouble providing the so-called gripping experience that it promised.

Trending

For more such insights on Malice, keep following SoapCentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback