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In the 1950s, author John D. MacDonald wrote The Executioners, an intriguing psychological thriller-suspense novel about Max Cady, a sex offender who gets paroled and seeks revenge against an attorney whose testimony helped put him in prison. That novel has been adapted into three projects, all titled Cape Fear. First, there was a 1962 movie starring Robert Mitchum, then there was a 1991 movie starring Robert De Niro (directed by Martin Scorsese), and finally, we have a 2026 Apple TV miniseries starring Javier Bardem.
I’m still conflicted as to who among the three actors brings the best (or worst) out of Max Cady. Stephen King, who never hesitates to post brief takes on whatever he is watching, has already praised Cape Fear. No surprise there, as he has often been intrigued by shows about psychos who seem unbeatable. Personally, I’m curious as to how King, now the second most adapted author of all time, normally juggles between writing all those bulky novels and watching every TV show that comes out. Big mystery!
Javier Bardem Delivers an Emmy-Worthy Performance in 'Cape Fear'
A talent assortment comprising Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson should produce something out of the ordinary. If you add Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese as producers, you’ve got an outstanding TV show. Cape Fear is a fun book-to-TV adaptation, and you’d have to be truculent not to be entertained. As always, Bardem juts out from the surface of every interaction, as imposing as ever, though he savors his villainy a little too much.
On Threads, King wrote:
"Cape Fear. I’m rooting for Max Cady. "
That’s an interesting take, considering that Cady (Bardem) isn’t a good person. He won’t leave Anna (Adams) and her husband, Tom (Wilson), alone. But unlike in the movies, Cady doesn’t rush. He even presents himself as a friend at times, something an established author like King must love. Good stories are never rushed, but the tension has to linger at all times. Bardem shoves his character this way and that way, dispensing humility and menace in equal proportions. It’s obvious he’s mad, but you still doubt it because he never barks.
To be honest, the show doesn’t have any real depth to rave about, but it is consistently astute enough not to go riding on obvious lanes. It’s the audacity of Max Cady that pays considerable dividends. The moment he steps out of prison and the camera captures the back of his head, you know he is going to be trouble. Overall, the show plays enough tricks on the viewer, so that they never lose interest. There is enough great dialogue and scenarios to keep one curious about exactly what is coming next. This is another great example of a miniseries that doesn’t take its audience for granted.
Stephen King Also Loved Robert Mitchum’s Version of Max Cady, but Hated Robert De Niro’s Spin on the Character
While I’m sitting here confused as to which version of Max Cady is the best, Stephen King seems to know exactly what makes each take superior or bad. The author analyzes the two previous adaptations in depth in his Introduction to the 2006 Ballantine Books reissue of John D. MacDonald's The Executioners and his 1981 non-fiction book, Danse Macabre. In the former, he argued that Martin Scorsese’s movie missed the point by failing to paint the Bowdens as clear victims.
"In Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) is a cheat who has buried evidence; his wife (Jessica Lange) is a bitter, unhappy woman; his daughter (Juliette Lewis) is a neurotic, sexually confused teenager... The result is a film that is technically brilliant but emotionally empty. Instead of rooting for the Bowdens, we find ourselves almost rooting for Cady to clean the slate."
King argues that in the 1962 movie, no member of the Bowdens is devious, hence the audience feels compelled to root for them when they are terrorized by a human monster. Still, this take is somehow confusing. If he hated Scorsese’s movie, then why is he praising the Apple TV adaptation? It appears to follow the same path by painting the Bowdens as either shady or plain annoying.
Regarding performances, King says:
"Robert Mitchum played Cady with a kind of heavy, swaggering, animalistic grace... he was terrifying because he was so entirely real. He was the bad guy who knew the law better than the cops did. De Niro’s Cady, on the other hand, is not so much a human monster as a Biblical plague. He survives things no human being could survive, and by the end of the film, he has transcended suspense and entered the realm of the ridiculous."
I'd be lying if I said I agreed with King. I’m not convinced that the things he has singled out for praise outrightly make Mitchum’s version better than De Niro’s. What’s your take?
