The X-Files star is at his charismatic best as a ruthless multimillionaire who hires Jack Whitehall as a sinister nanny. It’s like The White Lotus meets The Talented Mr Ripley
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can’t say I had “Jack Whitehall stars with David ‘The X Files/ Californication’ Duchovny in glossy TV thriller” on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are, and a good time with it can be had by all. Alongside, perhaps, a smidge of national pride to see the daft lad from Fresh Meat, Bad Education and Travels With My Father all grown up and holding his own.
The glossy thriller in question is Malice, in which Whitehall plays Adam, a tutor promoted to manny (male nanny, for those not au fait with rich people’s terms), who is bent – for reasons as yet unknown – on ruining high-rolling businessman Jamie Tanner (Duchovny). Whether he has it in for the rest of the Tanner family and friends, or they are just doomed to be collateral damage, is not clear, but that doesn’t spoil the machiavellian fun.
Adam arrives at the Tanners’ opulent Greek island estate as tutor to the children of Jamie’s guests, Jules (Christine Adams) and Damien (Raza Jaffrey), who are very much the beta setting for the Tanners’ alpha display. Adam quickly makes himself interesting (with his knowledge about the surrounding islands’ mythic heritage, thanks to studying classics at university) and useful (with his knowledge of cocktail and calamari-making and willingness to do domestic chores while still having time to accompany Jamie to local strip clubs).
