Secret Pleasures

Secret Pleasures is currently streaming on major platforms, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 3/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch Kim Yates work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Secret Pleasures earns its spot. At its heart, Secret Pleasures understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. An attractive woman detective, expert in cases of conjugal infidelity is hired by a mysterious millionaire, unaware that she will get involved in a feverish love triangle to gather all the evidence she needs to finish the case. Kim Yates and Rick Majeske lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2002. Secret Pleasures is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Secret Pleasures proves them wrong. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Kim Yates anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.