Cape Fear is one of the most affecting revenge stories ever. Based on the book The Executioners by John McDonald, the story of an ex-con getting back at the lawyer who put him in prison was adapted into not one but two different classic movies, one in 1962 starring Robert Mitchum as the devious Max Cady and another in 1991 directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro as Cady.
Thirty-five years later, Apple TV is revamping the story yet again, and this time, it’s a TV series. But though the series cites the book and both movie screenplays as inspiration, it makes some big swings with the very basic elements of the premise — a strategy that’s risky but, surprisingly, works great.
