REVIEW: ‘Cross’ Is The Crime Drama We Need

With an essence of Hannibal, a serving of Criminal Minds, and just a pinch of Mind Hunter, Cross is one of the standouts on Prime Video television series this year. Based on New York Times Bestselling author James Patterson’s hero, Cross (2024) is a pulse-pounding crime thriller that follows the investigations of forensic psychologist and DC Metro Detective Alex Cross.

Created by Ben Watkins, the series expands Prime Video’s growing brand of mysteries. Look, in 2024, we really don’t need more copaganda. But with Longlegs earlier this year, it looks like crime dramas are back in full swing. With some moments and cultural commentary that feel slightly forced and inauthentic, the show’s heart isn’t to be a glorifying exploration of the police. Instead, it reinvigorates the detective thriller as Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) hunts down a serial killer.

Together with his best friend and partner, Detective John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), Cross delves into the psyches of insidious murderers. Only the job follows him home and forces him to protect his family from the dangers of the criminal world. Backed by Washington, DC detectives, along with FBI agent Kayla Craig, Alex works to uncover the truth behind a serial killer, high-profile kidnappings, and a deadly personal stalker. And that’s just this season.

The series directly handles police corruption and their violent abuse of power while still managing to tell a cat-and-mouse story that is one of the most thrilling things you’ll see all year. When a young Black man is killed after his family begins investigating the cops, Alex is the only person taking their plea for a true investigation seriously.  As Alex learns more about the young man, the danger that the man’s partner is in, and the wide web of danger that sprawls across DC, Alex can’t stop.

Cross Offers A Deep Mystery With Eccentric Attention To Detail

The mystery in this series is expertly unraveled without losing any tension. As more clues fall into place and twists are revealed, it’s hard not to revere this wholly original story. With eccentric methods of killing that rival anything we’ve seen in the crime drama pantheon, the murderer at the center of Alex’s life is a manipulative chameleon played by the only other actor in this series that matches Hodge’s charisma and depth as Alex Cross.

The series begins as a series that embodies all of the known crime drama tropes. As it continues, however, Cross (2024) gets weirder and deeper, and yet, we never lose Alex’s humanity. He it is clear from the first episode that Alex is a hero in the eyes of the force and his city (for the most part). Still, that heroism doesn’t ever swallow his vulnerabilities whole. Instead, Season 1 captures Aelx’s struggles with staying above water.

While he’s supported in the field and at home with his mother (Juanita Jennings) and his children Damon (Caleb Elijah) and Janelle (Melody Hurd), Alex can’t seem to pull himself out of his own spiral. Driven by the need to defend people who can’t defend themselves after the loss of his wife, he takes his work home with him. The psychological fallout from his work creeps into his everyday life as he reacts out of fear of any possible threat to his family. He is a good detective, but he wants to be an even better father desperately.

Aldis Hodge has always been a phenomenal actor. From his time on Leverage, this role in the beautiful One Night In Miami, Underground, and yes, even his time spent as the Green Lantern John Stewart in DC’s animation for the last three years, he brings the most to his roles. Hodge is a force on the screen, and in Cross, it’s electric to see him on screen.

With a stellar supporting cast around him, namely Ryan Eggold, Johnny Ray Gill, and Alona Tal, there isn’t anything lacking in this series. A good mystery crafted around dynamic characters makes Cross (2024) extremely hard to walk away from without pressing play on the next episode. A perfect addition to Reacher, Aldis Hodge stands side to side with Alan Richardson and establishes his own series that I hope keeps getting greenlit for more seasons. I hope that Alex Cross is here to stay.

Cross (2024) is streaming now, exclusively on Prime Video.