Lydia (Lisa Kudrow) and Paul (Ray Romano) are empty nesters looking to sell their home. It’s a gorgeous 1920s Spanish-style villa in a good LA neighborhood—and we all know real estate in California is a dog-eat-dog world. But what happens when the property holds more than just family memories? If these walls could talk…oh boy, would they have some explaining to do.
No Good Deed follows Lydia and Paul as they flip between mourning their decision and desperately trying to escape. It also draws in several other couples looking to start the next chapter of their lives here. Leslie (Abbi Jacobson) and Sarah (Poppy Liu) are trying for a family and think this house is the key to their success. Carla (Teyonah Parris) and Dennis (O-T Fagbenle) already have a little one on the way and need the room—particularly when Dennis’ mother wants to be heavily involved. JD (Luke Wilson) is a Hollywood actor whose star power is fading fast, while his trophy wife Margo (Linda Cardellini) is giving Desperate Housewives a run for their money. They all become fixated on the house, thinking it will solve all their problems…but it wouldn’t make for a good show if it did, now would it?
There are many layers to this dark comedy, many of which I wouldn’t dare spoil—just like any good realtor, it’s best not to mention the quirks and let the buyers find out for themselves. But what I will say is each actor brings their A-game, flavoring their characters and their motivations with extra salt and just a touch of spice. No Good Deed gets progressively more twisted as the buyers spiral deeper into their desire to snatch up the house—but the sellers might have the most twisted motivations of all.
Kudrow and Romano have good chemistry as a couple whose fire died a while ago but they’re still a team, even when it’s hard. But it’s Linda Cardellini who steals the show as Margo—she mentioned she wanted to play totally against type and she delivers with sparkle. She’s an excellent antagonist, stirring the pot with more secret sauce than the other characters. Although that doesn’t discount all the messiness of the other players, who deftly spin a tangled web of lies and manipulation.
No Good Deed is wickedly funny, with emotional threads that heighten the stakes and drive the characters to desperation (and dumbassery). But it still feels somewhat real, even if the dark comedy of it all means that reality is delivered with a knowing wink to the audience. The ensemble cast plays together well, pushing each other’s buttons and slowly peeling back the layers of the house’s central mystery. While your curiosity will be piqued by the secrets held within the villa’s walls, you’ll be content to sip your drink of choice and enjoy the tease as they slowly unravel.
