Prime Video Users Are Obsessed With A Harlan Coben Series Led By A Hunger Games Star

Harlan Coben's mystery novels elicit mixed responses, and this sentiment carries over to serialized television adaptations of his work. Most of his stories tend to rely on dramatic red herrings and fake-outs, which doesn't always work in favor of a well-crafted whodunnit. After all, blatant implausibility instantly breaks immersion, hindering you from enjoying the rollercoaster of emotions that a twisty story can make you feel. But sometimes, Coben manages to craft something genuinely complex and thrilling. Such is the case with the recently-released "Lazarus," the Prime Video miniseries starring Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy, among others. In fact, "Lazarus" has managed to make such an indelible mark that it's #1 in the streaming platform's Top 10 TV Shows list in the U.S. at the time of writing (via Flixpatrol).

This isn't the first time a Coben series has made major waves weeks after release. 2024's "Fool Me Once" had viewers hooked since its debut on Netflix, even though critics deemed it too melodramatic for its own good. The case for "Lazarus" is a bit more nuanced, as its merits outweigh its flaws, but not enough to warrant a decent Rotten Tomatoes score (the series sports a measly 48% at the time of writing). We should also keep in mind that the series isn't based on any existing source material, but an original screenplay penned by Coben and frequent collaborator Daniel Brocklehurst. Is this enough for "Lazarus" to be a departure from the ludicrous twists that most Coben mysteries embrace? No, not really, but compelling performances help boost its credibility by a long shot, with Claflin's natural charisma doing most of the heavy lifting. 

With that in mind, let's delve deeper into the dark, unsettling world of "Lazarus."

Spoilers for "Lazarus" ahead.

In "Lazarus," father-son duo Joel Lazarus (Claflin) and Jonathan Lazarus (Nighy) are quickly embroiled in a nightmare scenario like no other. Tragedy strikes when Joel (dubbed "Laz" in the show) learns that his father has died by suicide, and has also left an ominous note with "It's not over" written on it. Devastated and intrigued, Joel keeps visiting his late father's gothic mansion (which Jonathan used for his private practice, apparently), and begins seeing visions, hallucinations, and more. Jonathan also appears in these ... sightings, leaving behind cryptic clues for his son to decipher. This, added with the mystery of his sister's death, takes a toll on Joel's already fractured mind, which devolves into incoherence like the show's convoluted storyline.

There's nothing outlandish about this premise — in fact, I would argue that it is sound enough to explore the themes of memory, guilt, and nostalgia through the lens of a gritty murder mystery. But Coben doesn't take the cerebral route to flesh out these aspects, as he resorts to cheap jump scares to heighten the tension instead. This works in some instances, with Claflin doing his utmost with the given material, and Nighy leaning into campy excess while delivering some deeply ridiculous lines. You will, however, keep guessing until the end, which works conveniently well for a mystery that plans on subverting expectations.

If you enjoy stories where grief becomes a vehicle for inexplicable mumbo-jumbo, then "Lazarus" might be worth a shot. But even while operating within this expectation, it falls short at times, managing to impress sporadically before the credits roll.

"Lazarus" is currently streaming on Prime Video.