Before – Series Review | Apple TV+

BEFORE on Apple TV+ is a new psychological thriller series starring Billy Crystal. He is breathtaking as a psychiatrist who battles with keeping his sanity. The 10 half-hour episodes are amazing. Read our full Before series review here!

BEFORE is a new Apple TV+ series and you’ll definitely want to watch this one. Billy Crystal is amazing in the lead role, and though we know him mostly as a gifted comedian, there is none of that in this role. It’s a character-driven story and his character is in the driver’s seat!

The one downfall is that the episodes are released weekly and you’ll want desperately to binge-watch it. Each episode offers some new revealing detail that you cannot wait to dive into, but you’ll just have to wait. Sure, you can wait till all episodes are out, but that puts you in danger of spoilers. You do not want that!

Continue reading our Before series review below. The series premieres on Apple TV+ on October 25, 2024.

A grieving doctor and a struggling patient

When the Before story opens, it’s with Dr. Eli Adler (Billy Crystal) in mourning. His wife Lynn (Judith Light) recently passed away, and we see how he continues to see her and even talk to her, even though he knows she’s gone.

This is both a brilliant way of keeping Judith Light in all episodes of the series and a key element of the actual plot. As the story progresses, you’ll see that Eli and Lynn are connected to some of the other characters we meet in the 10 episodes.

Eli is a child psychiatrist who contemplates going back to work but also considers retirement. However, this decision is made for him when a troubled young boy, Noah (Jacobi Jupe) shows up at his doorstep two times.

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Only after these incidents does Eli meet Noah as an actual patient, when one of his colleagues begs Eli to return to work for this one patient. Noah is struggling with a multitude of issues and seems to have a connection to Eli’s past.

As Eli does everything he can to help Noah, their bond deepens. So much so that Eli starts experiencing the same delusions that Noah struggles with. Could something supernatural be going on? And would the psychiatrist and science-trusting man even acknowledge if that was the case?!

Amazing cast but troubled production

The fact that I call this production troubled has nothing to do with the cast and everything to do with the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

It meant that the limited series started shooting in May 2023, but was halted when the strike began the following month. Filming ultimately resumed in December and finalized in January 2024.

Usually, having to halt production isn’t a big issue. However, having a young boy in one of the lead roles does present a bit of a snafu. Jacobi Jupe (younger brother of actor Noah Jupe) is amazing in Before.

However, it’s obvious that suddenly a lot of time has passed even though the scenes are supposedly only hours apart.

I really struggled with this for a little while as he looked visibly older and bigger, but his talent (and the writing of the series) helped me move past it. Maybe the weekly released episodes will also be a blessing in that area.

Alongside Billy Crystal, Jacobi Jupe, and Judith Light, we have Maria Dizzia (The Good Nurse, School Spirits) as the daughter of Eli and Lynn. Also, as Eli’s assistant, Cleo, we see Ava Lalezarzadeh (In the Garden of Tulips) deliver an intriguing portrayal.

As Noah’s foster mom, who will do everything she can for the young boy, we see Rosie Perez (Now and Then, The Flight Attendant). She’s often the beating heart of the story as she never gives up on the boy.

Finally, we also get to see Hope Davis as Dr. Jane, a respected Chief of Pediatric Neurology.

Start watching Before on Apple TV+

Before is a limited series created by Sarah Thorp. She also serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer on the Apple TV+ series. Previous productions by Sarah Thorp include The Bounty Hunter and the 2019 movie Jacob’s Ladder, but this is something very different!

Joining Sarah Thorp as executive producers are Billy Crystal, Eric Roth (Killers of the Flower Moon), pilot director Adam Bernstein (Silo), and producing director Jet Wilkinson (First Kill, Warrior Nun).

With Before, we’re getting a layered and very character-driven psychological thriller. It’s a beast that evolves slowly and shows its true colors little by little. Whenever you think you know where it’s heading, there’s a shift or turn in the story to keep you coming back.

Before premieres globally with the first two episodes on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 25, 2024. New episodes are released every Friday until the final episode on December 20, 2024.

Details

Creator: Sarah Thorp
Directors: Adam Bernstein, Jet Wilkinson, David Petrarca, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Zetna Fuentes
Writers: Sarah Thorp, Joseph Sousa, Howie Miller
Cast: Billy Crystal, Jacobi Jupe, Judith Light, Rosie Perez, Maria Dizzia, Ava Lalezarzadeh