ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Is Nile Jarvis based on Robert Durst? Here are all the similarities ‘The Beast in Me’ shares with ‘The Jinx’

In 'The Beast in Me,' Nile’s charm masks a darkness reminiscent of Robert Durst, drawing Aggie into a deadly puzzle she can’t walk away from.

Netflix’s new drama ‘The Beast in Me’ arrives with the confidence of a show that knows exactly what it wants to be. From its first episode, the limited series brings the tension of a classic cat-and-mouse story with the polish of a prestige film. And although it feels like it could have been adapted from one of those hugely popular twisty domestic thrillers that have dominated bookshelves since ‘Gone Girl,’ this series springs from an entirely original concept by creator Gabe Rotter. Part of that familiarity comes from how quickly the series pulls viewers into its lead’s fragile interior world.

Claire Danes plays Aggie Wiggs, a once-respected novelist whose life has been hollowed out by grief and creative paralysis, as per Men’s Health. Through Aggie’s wary perspective, the show builds an immediate sense of unease that intensifies the moment she meets her new neighbor. Enter Matthew Rhys as Nile Jarvis, a wealthy, polished, and instantly unsettling figure who moves into the cavernous manor across the street. Nile’s past clings to him like a shadow: he was suspected in the disappearance, and presumed death, of his first wife, Madison. The case never stuck, and he’s been able to maintain a public-facing life thanks in part to his powerful father (played by Jonathan Banks).

Rhys plays Nile with a mesmerizing tightrope balance: charming one minute, predatory the next. His self-serious swagger and practiced innocence evoke a very real historical parallel that many viewers may recall: Robert Durst. Durst, a wealthy real estate heir, became a notorious figure after the HBO docuseries ‘The Jinx’ reexamined his suspected connection to multiple deaths. Like Nile, Durst had a vanishing wife, a suspiciously timed best friend’s murder, and a trail of accusations he always managed to wriggle out of. His infamous on-mic muttering, “killed them all, of course,” led to his arrest and eventual conviction. He died in prison in 2022, according to Britannica.

While ‘The Beast in Me’ is wholly fictional, the resonance is unmistakable. The series taps into that unsettling archetype: the rich, eccentric man who seems to exist just outside the reach of the law, his confidence bordering on delusion. And just like Durst inserting himself into the making of ‘The Jinx,’ Nile invites Aggie into his orbit under the pretense of giving her a book to write. It’s an act of pride disguised as transparency. The parallels continue all the way through the finale. Aggie may be the audience surrogate, but it is Nina (played by Brittany Snow), Nile’s second wife, who delivers the critical blow. In a private confrontation, Nile finally confesses that he killed Madison.

Nina captures everything on her phone. Shaken but resolute, she hands the audio over to authorities. Nile is arrested at last, his carefully constructed façade collapsing in seconds. His downfall doesn’t end there. After one last encounter with Aggie, Nile is murdered in prison, stabbed on the orders of his Uncle Rick, a relative who always recognized Nile’s capacity for violence and never believed he deserved saving. Much like Durst, who took his final breaths behind bars, Nile’s story ends in the same place so many suspected it always would. While inspired by no single case, ‘The Beast in Me’ smartly uses echoes of real figures to ground its fictional monster.