Apple TV’s Wild New Crime Thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Debuts With Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score

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A new crime thriller on Apple TV+ is getting a lot of positive attention, with a surprisingly unique story and a fantastic debut on Rotten Tomatoes.

Apple TV+ is known for its science fiction hits like Severance, Pluribus, Silo, and Foundation, but it also offers a strong lineup of crime thrillers. Popular titles in this genre include Slow Horses, Presumed Innocent, and Black Bird. Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman, is Apple TV+’s most enduring show – it’s been renewed for a seventh season – and boasts a remarkable 97% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Apple TV+’s new thriller, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, centers around Paula (Tatiana Maslany), a divorced mom who tries to uncover what happened after a webcam performer, Trevor (Brandon Flynn), vanishes during an online chat with her. The show, which blends dark humor with suspense, also stars Jake Johnson as Paula’s ex-husband Karl, Jessy Hodges as Karl’s new partner Mallory, Nola Wallace as their daughter Hazel, Dolly de Leon as Detective Sofia Gonzalez, Jon Michael Hill as Detective Baxter, and Murray Bartlett in a mysterious role.

After its first two episodes aired, the new show Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed received a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics giving it a 92% score based on 24 reviews. This score could change as more people review the show, and viewer ratings aren’t available yet.

Judy Berman of Time magazine praised Tatiana Maslany as the driving force behind a surprisingly unpredictable story, noting that she portrays a character who is both intelligent, warm, and complex. Zofia Wijaszka from Nerdspin echoed this sentiment and also lauded the season’s strong conclusion, calling the show a captivating and twist-filled experience with a finale that’s sure to leave viewers wanting more.

Rebecca Nicholson of the Financial Times believes the show succeeds as a thriller, though it sometimes feels a bit too busy. Emily Bernard from Collider points out that it’s a great addition to Apple TV+, fitting right in with the platform’s collection of enjoyable and unique series.

I was surprised to see a review from Nick Schrager at The Daily Beast that wasn’t so positive. He said the show felt overly complicated without being exciting, and weird without actually being funny – basically, it didn’t live up to the expectations set by its title. It’s a shame, because I was really hoping it would be good!

In an interview with ScreenRant, the creator and showrunner of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, David J. Rosen, described the show as a uniquely “enjoyable anxiety.” He explained that the team chose the half-hour thriller format – which isn’t common on TV – to create a fast-paced and gripping experience. Rosen’s previous work includes the Apple TV series Sugar and Invasion, as well as Prime Video’s Citadel and Hunters.

I’ve been a huge fan of Tatiana Maslany for years! You might know her from shows like Orphan Black, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Perry Mason, The Monkey, and even Invincible. But seriously, Orphan Black is where she really blew me away – playing 17 different clones! It was incredible, and she deservedly got three Emmy nominations and actually won for Outstanding Lead Actress. It’s a critically acclaimed show too – 93% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 92% from audiences. That’s a really similar score to what I’ve seen for Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which also has a 92% audience score!

One of Tatiana Maslany’s co-stars in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Jake Johnson is known for his roles in popular projects like Jurassic World, New Girl, and the Spider-Verse movies. However, his character Karl in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is intentionally less charming than many of his previous roles. Karl is Paula’s difficult ex-husband, and he complicates things as she tries to figure out what happened to Trevor.

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Apple TV.

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2026-05-21 02:08