‘A Murder at the End of the World’ review: FX-Hulu series hacks the whodunit
(NEXSTAR) — Typically speaking, a murder-mystery should follow a varied trail of clues toward a logical resolution — but in FX’s new thriller “A Murder at the End of the World,” murder is only part of the mystery.
The seven-episode limited series from writers of Netflix’s “The OA,” takes viewers on a gripping tour through genres: true crime chiller, lovelorn Western and technological thriller.
“A Murder” presents a “Knives Out”-style roster of wealthy and powerful characters in a remote location — but where those films face the sun, “A Murder” determinedly looks into the cold nights of its Icelandic setting. It’s Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle put into a David Fincher-branded blender.
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At the story’s center is Gen Z amateur sleuth and hacker Darby Hart (Emma Corrin, “The Crown”), whose auto-fictional murder mystery novel catches the attention of tech billionaire Andy Ronson (Academy Award nominee Clive Owen, “Closer”) and his reclusive wife, Lee (Brit Marling, “The OA”), a retired hacker Darby has long admired. Darby soon receives an invitation to a vaguely defined retreat among eight other esteemed guests.
Joining in on the stay are a filmmaker, an astronaut, an AI tech mogul, a venture capitalist, a robotics wunderkind, a political activist and a climatologist. Ronson’s eighth surprise guest a face from Darby’s own past — her former partner in cold case solving and in an adolescent romance, the Banksy-esque tech-critical artist Bill Farrah (Harris Dickinson, “Triangle of Sadness”).
When the titular murder occurs, Darby sets out to figure out who’s behind it and why. But the pink-haired protagonist soon uncovers even more troubling mysteries to solve. With hosts insistent the murder is an “accident,” Darby must outmaneuver world-best surveillance on her own (or with help from an omnipresent AI called “Ray”), before whatever comes next comes next.
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At the helm of “A Murder” is star Marling, who co-creates and writes the series alongside fellow “OA” alum Zal Batmanglij. An accomplished roster of executive producers for hits like “Transparent” and “Paper Girls,” to name a few, help tile in the mysterious mosaic that’s just spooky enough for whoever wasn’t done with Halloween yet.
While not the traditional cozy mystery, each episode of “A Murder” follows the genre’s beloved beats and then dunks them in cold water. This frosty puzzlebox will be best watched along with friends.
“A Murder at the End of the World” premieres Nov. 11 and will run through December. It streams exclusively on Hulu.
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