Move over ‘Reacher’: Prime Video’s Alex Cross series packs a formidable punch

Prime Video is becoming the go-to place for edgy crime dramas. The platform’s latest foray into the genre is Cross, a crime thriller series inspired by James Patterson’s best-selling novels, which follows Alex Cross, a decorated homicide detective and medical examiner. The series stars Aldis Hodge in the title role and hits Prime Video on Thursday.

The first season of Prime Video’s crime thriller follows Alex Cross, who works with his partner and best friend John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa) to track down an insidious serial killer. However, this is a layered series, and Cross faces multiple challenges as he works to solve this case: He must gain the trust of his community and keep his family and mental health intact after suffering a debilitating loss.

There’s already so much more going on here than audiences have seen in the previous Alex Cross adaptations to hit the big screen: 1997’s Kiss the Girls and 2001’s Along Came a Spider (both led by Morgan Freeman) and 2012’s Alex Cross, which starred Tyler Perry.

Under the guidance of creator, showrunner and executive producer Ben Watkins, Prime Video’s Cross is an exciting reimagining of the iconic character. Obviously, Hodge is a younger actor than Freeman and Perry were when they portrayed the DC detective in the titles mentioned above, and his age and stature help redefine who Alex Cross is, what he’s capable of, and what he stands for.

It’s worth noting that Patterson’s books inspired Cross, but the series is not a direct adaptation.

Hodge had his work cut out to create an authentic representation of the character that wasn’t a rehash of the Alex Cross audiences have previously seen. The Black Adam actor told CNET over Zoom during the series’ official press day that his process for creating this version of Cross was completely based on honesty.

“Once I understood the nature of the character, I understood the why of the character and the heart of the character,” he said. “All I had to do was anchor my honesty to the honesty of the character and build out a whole person, not a caricature of something, but a whole, living, breathing, functioning man.”

Hodge’s emotional work in bringing Cross to life is the foundation of the series. But his connection to the black community and his deep bond with his family and friends elevates the story beyond the films I mentioned above.

According to Watkins, these were necessary elements to bring the show to life.
“I knew I could give you a great thriller, but I wanted to combine it with a great character journey because I think people gravitate towards that and it’s actually very relatable,” he said. “For me, that was really important. Some of it actually comes from reading the books and realizing that there are elements in the books that haven’t made it to the screen yet, and television might be the best way to make that happen. because we have more real estate.”

Elaborating the world around Cross involved deep research into the actors’ parts. According to Mustafa, they traveled to Washington, DC. They spent time with the detectives who work in the city — especially the officers of color — to discuss the nature of working in law enforcement in the nation’s capital and how balancing responsibilities to their communities while working to solve crime and uphold justice, directly affects them personally.

“Ben Watkins doesn’t shy away from any topic, especially if it’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind, in the culture, in the news,” explained Mustafa. “He wrote these things into the story on purpose to make sure that people can see how these two characters navigate their way through this world, being from the neighborhood, but also dealing with this issue of police brutality, you know, things like e.g. that.”

Cross and Sampson want justice in both the streets and the area. “Whoever it is, that’s what they’re looking for,” he added. From what I can tell, their mission will take them to some very dark places.

Joining Hodge and Mustafa in the series are Ryan Eggold as Ed Ramsey, Samantha Walkes as Elle Montero, Jennifer Wigmore as Chief Anderson, Johnny Ray Gill as Bobby Trey, Alona Tal as Kayla Craig, Eloise Mumford as Shannon Witmer and Juanita Jennings as Regina. Nana Mama” Cross.

Cross was already renewed for a second season earlier this year, so it looks like Patterson’s detective will be around for a while. Read on to learn where and when to stream Cross.

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When and where to see Cross

All eight episodes of the first season of Cross will be available to watch today, Thursday, November 14, on Prime Video.

An Amazon Prime membership gives you access to Amazon’s comprehensive TV and movie streaming service, along with Prime Gaming, ad-free music streaming, exclusive offers and the company’s signature-free delivery service. Prime costs $15 per month or $140 per year in the US, £9 per month or £95 per year in the UK, $10 per month or $99 per year in Canada, and AU$10 per month or AU$79 per year in Australia.

If you’re interested in streaming Cross for free and haven’t yet signed up for the service, you can take advantage a 30-day free trial to see if Amazon Prime is right for you.