Apple TV’s Cape Fear remake just achieved something Martin Scorsese’s 1991 classic couldn’t on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics weigh in on Javier Bardem’s take on Max Cady and how the series stacks up against its predecessor.
What critics are saying about Cape Fear in reviews
The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan calls the Apple TV series “a masterclass in tension” and praises Javier Bardem’s performance as Max Cady. She describes Bardem’s portrayal as “genuinely charming, convincing, momentarily even sympathetic and then terrifying.”
Mangan adds that Antosca “has been vocal with praise and gratitude for Scorsese’s contribution” as executive producer. IndieWire’s Ben Travers grades the show a B-minus and notes it takes “horror cues from Scorsese’s violent vision” while investing “far more time in family drama.”
Variety’s Aramide Tinubu calls the series “perhaps the most unnerving and intense retelling yet” of John D. MacDonald’s novel. Roger Ebert’s Richard Roeper describes the show as “lurid, explicitly violent, well-acted, and preposterously plotted.” He also praises Bardem for portraying Cady as “a charismatic, ferociously intimidating wild card.”
Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus reads the show “revitalizes the revenge thriller and manages to make a noteworthy name for itself.”
Apple TV Cape Fear gets better Rotten Tomatoes score than Martin Scorsese movie
The Apple TV series currently holds a 78% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Metacritic assigned the show a score of 76 out of 100 based on 16 critics. Martin Scorsese’s 1991 film starring Robert De Niro holds a 77% Tomatometer score from 60 reviews.
Nick Antosca created the 10-episode limited series for Apple TV. Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese serve as executive producers on the project. The show stars Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, and Javier Bardem alongside CCH Pounder and Lily Collias. Filming took place in Atlanta from April to October 2025.
The first two episodes premiere on Apple TV on June 5, 2026, with remaining episodes airing weekly through July 31.
