Apple TV’s new “Cape Fear” has become a grisly summer hit by reworking the familiar revenge thriller for a longer, contemporary limited-series format. Javier Bardem plays ex-convict Max Cady as a patient, insinuating threat rather than a purely violent psychopath, gradually dismantling the life of the lawyer he believes betrayed him and her family.

The 10-episode series stars Amy Adams as Anna Bowden, whose plea-deal advice helped send Max to prison, and Patrick Wilson as her husband and former legal counterpart, Tom. After new evidence leads to Max’s release, public opinion treats him as a victim of delayed justice while he targets the Bowdens; by episode eight, three of the four family members are imprisoned or institutionalised, and their son Zack has lost a toe amid suggestions of Max’s involvement.