ReviewSecrets, lies, death and real estate in Netflix show No Good Deed, starring Lisa Kudrow
Ray Romano co-stars, Luke Wilson pops up in uneven black comedy set in Los Angeles that tackles grief and guilt, but not money
Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano play empty nesters looking to downsize in the Netflix comedy No Good Deed. But selling their 1920s Spanish-style house in Los Angeles, in the US state of California, turns out to be more complicated than anticipated, thanks to their secrets and lies.
Paul and Lydia’s home is spacious, with an arched entryway, exposed beams and a generically “nice” if indistinct sense of design. It is unclear if this is meant as a commentary about them specifically or the more encompassing blandification of home interiors in general.
He is a contractor. She is a former concert pianist. Together, they sit in an upstairs bedroom, watching a video feed of the open house as curious buyers wander through. “They look like nice people,” he says. “Well, Ted Bundy looked nice,” she replies.
Lydia is too emotionally attached to the place to sell it. Their teenage son died there and the precise circumstances surrounding his death are unknown to everyone but the couple and Paul’s brother, a troublesome presence in their lives played by Denis Leary.