Apples Never Fall: Meet the Delaney family

Do you ever really know your parents? Apples Never Fall is a mystery drama series based on the Liane Moriarty novel. The drama centres on the Delaney family, whose sale of a tennis academy ushers in their retirement and unearths family secrets with the disappearance of a matriarch. Taking a similar slant to Gone Girl, Apples Never Fall taps into a discordant world similar to that of screenwriter Alan Ball, who’s best known for American Beauty and Six Feet Under.

After Joy goes missing, detectives try to piece together her last hours as clues rack up in an in-depth investigation. A suspicious father, four cut-the-apron-strings adult children and a mysterious house guest become prime suspects. Together they’re forced to confront an idealised vision of their parents as deep-seated motivations and misgivings rise to the surface.

As an ensemble mystery drama from the author of Big Little Lies, this series has many brilliantly biting group moments. A cringey family meal sets the scene for a bitter argument between Joy and Stan that spills over onto the kids. In another classic and hilarious interplay, family confessions are revealed by way of helium-filled balloons and squeaky voices, taking the edge off hard truths.

Apples Never Fall has an appetite for dark comedy and dysfunction with a girlfriend describing their family as having an inner violence to them. The sinister undertone escalates along with emotions as the missing persons investigation gathers momentum. As they scratch at the surface of old wounds, the tennis academy family begins to feel their seams. As siblings are forced to reteam, rivalries turn into parking lot fights with the constant threat of being thrown under the bus.

Annette Bening – Joy

Apples Never Fall features a stellar cast, led by headline act and executive producer, Annette Bening. While Bening is best known as a film actor, having garnered 5 nominations, her seemingly effortless performances and gravitas would have you believe she already won an Oscar. Best known for American Beauty, Bening’s performances have also been acknowledged by the Academy for a supporting role in The Grifters and her leading roles in Being Julia, The Kids Are Alright and Nyad.

Sam Neill – Stan

Playing opposite Annette as Joy’s husband Stan is one of Australia’s most recognisable actors, Sam Neill. While his face has been immortalised for his performance in Jurassic Park, Neill is a safe bet and a real team player chiming in with another murky performance. A smart casting call based on his propensity to see-saw, Neill keeps audiences on tenterhooks and in the dark as a patriarch who could easily go either way.

Jake Lacy – Troy

Jake Lacy has been around the block when it comes to film roles but has found his niche with series. His sharp role in The White Lotus earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination and is probably what landed him the role of eldest son and venture capitalist, Troy. Armed with smooth film star looks, Lacy has a knack and the face for playing entitled trust fund kids in later life.

Alison Brie – Amy

Alison Brie is best known for her recurring roles as Annie Edison in Community and as Ruth Wilder in the wrestling comedy drama, GLOW. With a supporting role in Promising Young Woman, the title underscores her acting career, having remained on the fringe. A shoo-in for a possible Natalie Imbruglia biopic, Brie delivers what her on-screen mother describes as a “searcher” in Amy, getting by as a wild child and spiritual life coach in Apples Never Fall.

Conor Merrigan Turner – Logan

Much like Sam Neill, fellow co-star Conor Merrigan Turner also hails from Down Under. Splitting his time between Los Angeles and Melbourne, the up-and-coming actor is best known for the series dramatisation of the famed Thai Cave Rescue. A handsome surfer dude, it’s not surprising to find Turner playing Stan’s son, Logan – who diverted his professional tennis aspirations to manage a marina.

Essie Randles – Brooke

A rising star, Essie Randles takes on the role of Brooke, the youngest of the enigmatic Delaney children who runs her own physical therapy practice. Struggling to cope with her girlfriend’s wandering eye, Randles inhabits the vulnerable yet resilient Brooke as she grapples with family secrets and personal turmoil. In this promising supporting role, her chemistry and natural ability should open doors for the young actor.

Georgia Flood – Savannah

Last but by no means least, Georgia Flood tackles the role of the suspicious wallflower, Savannah. Having earned her stripes through Australia’s long-running soap drama Home and Away, Flood’s best known for her series work with Anzac Girls and Wentworth. In Apples Never Fall, she’s an unknown… a possible confidence trickster whose feigned innocence and unsettling presence stirs up petty jealousy and family politics. Arriving at Joy and Stan’s doorstep, she ingratiates herself into the family like a stray cat. Serving as an empty nest distraction, the couple welcome her with open arms as the siblings begin to identify one red flag after another.