Nocturne Review on X: Stephen Graham’s Terrifying Performance Has Viewers Intrigued, But Not Everyone Seems Sold on Apple TV’s New Crime Thriller

Nocturne Review on X: Apple TV has another dark crime thriller on the list with Stephen Graham, Zazie Beetz and Liev Schreiber in the centre. Titled Nocturne, the new series has dropped its first two episodes and seems to be promising an unsettling murder mystery. According to early reactions on X (formerly Twitter). Viewers are already appearing to form opinions about what could become one of the talked-about crime dramas.

While some viewers seem to be impressed by the show’s dark atmosphere and performances, others seem to be questioning whether the writing can actually keep up with the ambitions, and that is also where things get interesting.

Nocturne Review on X: Fans Praise It for the Mystery

Stephen Graham’s presence seems to be one of the most unsettling characters that drive people’s attention towards itself. Early reviews seem to talk about his appearance and are impressed by the performance. In its reaction, @ParioMagazine mentioned that Graham’s performance was terrifying, also praising the platform for delivering such a crime thriller, writing, “Stephen Graham is TERRIFYING in #Nocturne. @AppleTV has delivered a crime thriller that gets darker with every episode, then leaves you hanging when you need answers most”, further calling it, “crime drama of the year.”

Another viewer, @jjmmca, appeared to be enjoying the show’s complete approach, describing Nocturne as an excellent Scandi-like mystery, writing, “Looks to be an excellent Scandi-like crime mystery. Excellent villain in a Hannibal Lecter vein”.

Viewers Are Excited About the Cast

Not every conversation about Nocturne seems to be coming from people sharing about the episodes, but also from viewers who seem excited about the casting. User @fwddever shared a rather enthusiastic reaction about finally watching the series, specifically pointing to Stephen Graham and Zazie Beetz as being the best part of the show, writing, “I need to watch Nocturne. Stephen Graham and Zazie Beetz? In a non-sci-fi Apple TV show?? Yeah.”

Meanwhile, @roni1133 included Nocturne in their October 30 release roundup outlining the central premise and cast, writing, “Nocturne (Apple TV). 1st 2 eps. Well-reviewed thriller. An ex-soldier-turned-homicide-detective’s quiet new life in rural PA is upended by a ruthless serial killer. Starring Liev Schreiber, Stephen Graham, Zazie Beetz & Chrissy Metz.”

The ensemble seems to be attracting viewers to watch Nocturne.

Not Everyone Seems Impressed With the Writing

There is, however, a little disagreement about whether Nocturne really delivers on the promising premise. While the dark environment and the casting receive applause, there is also criticism over its writing. User @Fried_Baseball seems less impressed after watching the first episode, critiquing the writing, describing it as “Lazy writing riddled with contrivances, cliches and exaggerated cardboard characters. That’s a shame. It looked interesting.”

Criticism also came from user @vectorbrief, who approached the release from a broader streaming-industry perspective, writing, “ANOTHER GRITTY CRIME DRAMA. That seems to be the play for Apple TV+ lately, as they just dropped the first two episodes of Nocturne. I’ve been keeping an eye on their strategy—they’ve stopped chasing volume and are clearly pivoting toward the kind of moody, prestige thrillers that keep subscribers from hitting that cancel button during billing cycles.”

The user nevertheless acknowledged that “it feels like a deliberate attempt to dominate the “Sunday night binge” conversation that used to belong to HBO. It’s slick, it’s dark, and it’s clearly designed to make your 4K OLED look expensive. We’ve seen a dozen shows like this before, but does Apple actually have the patience to build a cult classic, or will this just get lost in the endless scroll of the app?”

X Verdict: Is Nocturne Worth Watching?

The early reaction to Nocturne seems certainly divided, although there is a noticeable curiosity around the series, with Stephen Graham’s performance already attracting praise, and the casting giving the viewers another reason to play the series.

But at the same time, the criticism surrounding the writing does suggest that the series might not be an immediate favourite for everyone. While some viewers seem to be enjoying the dark crime-mystery atmosphere, others seem concerned about the familiar storytelling that does not feel particularly convincing for them.

With only the first two episodes of the series available at the time of these reactions, it is perhaps too early to decide whether the show will live up to the excitement, but it seems like viewers are paying attention to every aspect, including writing.

Nocturne premiered on Apple TV on October 30, 2026, with the first two episodes.

Did you watch the episodes? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Watch Nocturne on Apple TV.

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