Apple TV's New Detective Crime Series Adaptation Debuts To Rare Rotten Tomatoes Score

Published Oct 27, 2026, 1:22 PM EDT Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 4000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com. Apple TV's latest crime drama is off to a good start. More than any other reason why Apple TV is thought of as the new HBO is that, like its iconic cable competitor, the streamer tends to have its next big show lined up. Coming off the success of Slow Horses season 6, which featured the return of House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke for the first time in several years, there's already a new crime series lined up for fans of the genre. Nocturne, premiering October 30, is very different, though. The premise centers on a former soldier who is faced with protecting his family and community from a serial killer. It is based on the Lazarus and The Sandman novels by Lars Kepler, consisting of six episodes overall. Nocturne has debuted to a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The score is based on only five reviews so far, which means that it will likely change as more scores are tabulated. The Average of Rated Reviews, viewable by clicking on the Tomatometer, currently sits at 7.50 out of 10, which indicates a generally positive reception. Nocturne centers on former soldier and Philadelphia homicide detective Jonah Lynn, played by Ray Donovan's Liev Schreiber, as he relocates to a small community in Western Pennsylvania, seeking a more peaceful existence. His plans for a fresh start quickly unravel, however, when Jurek Walter, a dangerously calculating serial killer portrayed by Adolescence star Stephen Graham, threatens both his family and his new surroundings. The crime thriller spotlights Jonah as he does his best to protect the people closest to him, but the search for Jurek's final missing victim leads Jonah to seek assistance from his surrogate daughter, FBI Agent Saga Bauer, played by Atlanta and Deadpool 2 breakout Zazie Beetz. The narrative grows increasingly personal, with Jonah testing what his limits are and how far he's actually willing to go to stop his foe. Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent), Rory Culkin (Scream 4), Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Poorna Jagannathan (Never Have I Ever), and Gary Carr (The Deuce) also star in the adaptation, with ScreenRant's review of Nocturne by Dani Kessel Odom praising its “addictive” approach to translating the narrative to the screen, albeit the Apple TV does get dinged for telegraphing some of its changes and for the changes it makes to the books. Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order. On the whole, Nocturne has received generally solid early reviews, with Collider's Charlie Ridgely awarding it a 7 out of 10 and giving kudos to an engaging, thought-provoking story and excellent cast, while also making a similar complaint that, in adapting the novels, the end result was that certain aspects struggled with identity. Nocturne was developed for television, co-showrun, written, and executive produced by The Shield writer John Hlavin, and created for television, co-showrun, written, and executive produced by BAFTA Award winner Rowan Joffé, whose previous credits include writing 28 Weeks Later. At six episodes, and with such solid credentials both in front of and behind the camera, it will likely at least be sampled by many. Nocturne will make its global debut on Apple TV on October 30 with the first two episodes, followed by weekly episodes until December 25. Release Date October 29, 2026 Network Apple TV Showrunner John Hlavin, Rowan Joffe Cast Liev Schreiber Jonah Lynn Zazie Beetz FBI Agent Saga Bauer Landon Valentin Michael Frost Directors Tim Van Patten, Logan Kibens, Allen Coulter, Joe Chappelle Writers Rowan Joffe, John Hlavin, Dorothy Fortenberry, Lee Edward Colston, Jenina Kibuka, Matthew Newman Creator(s) Rowan Joffe