‘The Ex-Wife’ blasts the gaslight flame in creepy psychodrama

“The Ex-Spouse” tells a sordid story of gaslighting writ massive — however takes the acquainted “psychological thriller” in a twisty flip that units it other than its style bedfellows.

The four-part collection, premiering Aug. 10 on streamer BritBox and based mostly on Jess Ryder’s ebook of the identical title, options an English forged acquainted to the US TV viewers: Tom Mison (Fox’s “Sleepy Hole”), Janet Montgomery (NBC’s late, nice “New Amsterdam”) and Céline Buckens (“Free Rein,” “Warrior”).

It’s a trope-laden drama with simply sufficient surprises to maintain viewers because it barrels alongside to a booming finale.

The collection opens with a meet-not-so-cute between media government Jack Warrington (Mison) and graphic designer Natasha (“Tasha”), who’s driving her bicycle to work on a busy avenue when a rushing Jack plows into her together with his automobile.

She’s not severely injured, save for a couple of bumps and bruises, together with a scraped-up arm, and Jack — sheepish, apologetic and eager to keep away from “a scene” — guarantees to pay for her smashed-up bike. He takes her again to his ginormous residence in a leafy London suburb to are inclined to her arm and soothe her frazzled, dazed nerves.

Jack is clearly well-off and resides alone; seems he’s in a “trial separation” from his spouse, Jen (Montgomery), and, after a little bit of flirting, asks the much-younger Tasha out for dinner.

One factor results in one other and in 3 … 2 … 1 there’s the gratuitous semi-blurry, soft-focus intercourse scene. Briefly order they marry, she will get pregnant and so they welcome a child lady, Emily.

They’re destined to reside fortunately ever after, however the collection is titled “The Ex-Spouse” — and when Jen begins exhibiting up and performing extra-chummy with Jack, who appears to welcome the eye, let’s face it: how can he miss her if she gained’t go away?

Tasha is initially semi-indulgent of Jen’s omnipresence however, earlier than lengthy, it begins to put on skinny, despite the fact that Jack repeatedly reassures her she’s the one girl in his life (although he’s caught in a lie or two or three).

Jack’s habits triggers alarm not solely in Tasha however in her pal, Sam (Jordan Stephens); they’d a one-night stand pre-Jack however he’s clearly in love with Tasha and doesn’t belief her new husband — who takes an terrible lot of “enterprise journeys to New York” — so far as he can throw him, and the sensation is mutual.

Mison, Montgomery and Buckens are wonderful because the cad, the creepy ex and the too-young, fragile second spouse, however these roles are, finally, all turned on their heads because the arc of “The Ex-Spouse” slowly begins to evolve and the characters’ true colours start to shine via in stunning trend.

It’s not fairly, by any stretch, however that’s the purpose, and your expectations is not going to solely be quashed, one after the other, however likewise heightened by a number of plot contrivances that, on the floor, appear hackneyed (however actually aren’t as soon as all is claimed and accomplished).

The collection coda strikes a considerably foolish observe in that horror-movie sort of method, however doesn’t take something away from an absorbing drama that may query your expectations almost each step of the best way.