Netflix fans rave about ‘exquisite cat and mouse thriller’ packed with twists – saying it ‘gets better with every episode’

Netflix fans are ‘locked in’ for a dramatic new ‘cat and mouse thriller’ series that dropped on the streaming platform on Thursday.

Starring Emmy winner Colman Domingo, The Madness has impressed fans and critics alike, who immediately dubbed it a ’10/10′ TV show.

It sees the actor, 55, step into the role of media expert Muncie Daniels, who is forced to fight for his innocence and his life after he stumbles upon a murder deep in the woods of the Poconos Mountains.

As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with her estranged family and her lost ideals in order to survive.

Marsha Stephanie Blake also stars in the thriller series as Muncie’s ex-wife Elena Daniels and John Ortiz as tough FBI agent Franco Quinones.

Tamsin Topolski plays Lucie Simon, the white supremacist’s estranged wife Muncie is accused of murder, and Thaddeus J. Mixson portrays Muncie’s teenage son Demetrius.

The eight-episode limited series comes from Chernin Entertainment’s first-look deal on Netflix.

The Guardian’s critic Lucy Mangan scored the series an impressive four stars, writing that ‘the clever, clever conspiracy thriller gets better and better with every episode’.

She said, “In addition to being cleverly plotted and expertly paced, The Madness takes a subtle but fine line in showing how Muncie must navigate the traditional tropes of being a black man (police skepticism, turning to strangers for information or just being out and about in certain neighborhoods).

‘All the constraints under which an Everyman at the center of a conspiracy thriller normally operates are given an extra, inescapable torque, and the tension builds accordingly.’

Meanwhile FandomWire had high praise for The Madness, calling it an ‘exquisite cat and mouse thriller’ in their review.

They wrote: ‘The Madness had me reeling with its premise alone and when you added Colman Domingo it was icing on the cake.

‘There’s nothing better than a well-written show that keeps you guessing about what’s next. This was very much a cat-and-mouse matchup between the corresponding parts of the show.’

According to Tudum of Netflixexplained Domingo that his character is modeled after real-life media experts who are respected, at times challenged, even by their own communities. Sometimes seen as not black enough, and then for some people black too.’

He added: ‘He’s someone who was definitely an activist when he was younger, then moved into another layer and then became a bit of a superstar. He is a little bit removed from the communities he spoke for.’

And fans agree with the stars’ reviews, as they’ve already rushed to X to give their verdict, writing: ‘The NERVE of Netflix to ask us if we’re still watching #TheMadness.’

‘I’m halfway through episode 1 of #TheMadness and I’ve already decided that Colman Domingo deserves all the awards available.’

“This show is too good so far #TheMadness.”

‘Excellent and highly entertaining 70s paranoia thriller coded pilot! #Madness.’

‘It’s fun to see Colman Domingo in this type of role. #Madness.’

‘Watching #TheMadness on Netflix with Colman Domingo. It’s amazing!’

‘Just finished the first episode of #TheMadness. I can tell this series is about to take us on a rollercoaster!! Anything Colman Domingo is in is worth watching.’

‘#TheMadness on Netflix 10/10.’

‘Locked into #themadness on Netflix.. it’s so good!’

The Madness is available to stream now on Netflix