Jessica Biel returns to television in a ferocious and emotional performance that should catapult her to serious Emmy contention.
There is no one more impressed with Jessica Biel’s performance in The Sinner than me. Fellow ADTV contributor Megan McLachlan and I feverishly discussed Biel’s emotional role ever since Biel secured her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series.
Biel’s Cora Tanetti leads a simple life with her husband and their young son — until she randomly commits a vicious, public murder. While having a lazy day at the beach, Cora stabs to death a complete stranger. But is there a connected between Cora and this man? As the season progresses, we realize that this isn’t just your standard, bingeable drama (it is that too–don’t get me wrong!). It’s an exploration about how one person’s past can come back to destroy their present. Biel delivers a haunting, raw, and tragic performance. I was blown away by her presence and her tenacity on The Sinner.
It has been a while since Biel was on television (you know exactly what show she was on), so she comments on how vastly the landscape has changed. She also took the reins of producer for the show, a role she is luxuriating in for The Sinner‘s sophomore season.
With Cora Tanetti under her belt, we should all be looking forward to Biel stepping back on screen. Do not underestimate her.
The first season of The Sinner is streaming now on Netflix.
