Paradise Cove (2021)

Paradise Cove takes a deliciously sunlit setting and turns it into something tense and claustrophobic, the kind of seaside thriller where the waves keep crashing even as your nerves tighten. It’s a lean, pulpy ride that knows exactly what it wants to be: a home-renovation dream curdling into a nightmare, with Malibu’s beauty serving as a cruel backdrop to creeping dread. The real hook is Kristin Bauer van Straten, who brings a fierce, unsettling presence that elevates the material and makes the danger feel personal rather than generic. If you’re looking for a subtle, twisty mystery you may find it a bit predictable, but if you want an entertaining, straight-ahead thriller with a standout villain performance, it’s an easy watch to queue up.

Paradise Cove is clearly aiming for a sun-soaked, “dream home turns nightmare” thriller with a simple hook and a nasty antagonist. The problem is it plays out like a bargain-bin made-for-TV movie: predictable beats, overwrought drama, and characters who behave in ways that feel more convenient than believable. The pacing drags when it should be tightening the screws, so the suspense rarely lands and the tension fizzles instead of building. If you want sharp twists, grounded writing, or genuinely unsettling horror, this probably isn’t your stop—but if you’re fine with a straightforward, pulpy watch and a Malibu backdrop, you might get some disposable late-night entertainment out of it.