Dakota Fanning’s Sci-Fi Thriller “The Alienist” Is a Hidden Gem
Fans of dark, stylish mysteries will appreciate The Alienist, a Dakota Fanning-led series that blends crime and psychology. Though it initially resembles a gloomy period drama with cobblestone streets, gas lamps, and corseted intrigue, it reveals itself as one of the most intelligent slow-burning thrillers of the past decade.
Plot and Setting
The two-season series, starring Dakota Fanning, Daniel Brühl, and Luke Evans, explores the origins of criminal psychology, forensic science, and early women's rights advocacy. It is set against the detailed, atmospheric backdrop of 1890s New York.
Adapted from Caleb Carr’s 1994 best-selling novel, The Alienist follows Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl), a criminal psychologist—then called an “alienist”—who is tasked by Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty) with investigating a brutal series of murders targeting street children.
Social Context and Characters
The series paints a haunting picture of a divided Manhattan in 1896, where lavish mansions stand just blocks away from brothels and tenements inhabited by street children. Kreizler teams up with illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) and Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), Roosevelt’s determined secretary and the NYPD's first female employee.
“The Alienist looks like another gloomy period mystery — with cobblestone streets, gas lamps, and corseted intrigue. Yet, the deeper and closer you look, the more you'll find one of the most intelligent, slow-burning thrillers of the past decade.”
Audience Reception
The show holds an 80% audience score and is recognized as a well-crafted series well worth binging.
Author's Summary: This thoughtfully crafted thriller combines historical crime investigations with early social issues, delivering a compelling and atmospheric series led by Dakota Fanning.