From the title alone, A Murder at the End of the World is, of course, a murder mystery, a whodunit set in an isolated location, a la Agatha Christie. But the second TV collaboration of showrunners Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij infuses amateur forum-based sleuthing, with contemplation of technological dependence and on human connection. It does so through two plotlines: one, following the investigation at the mysterious, icy tech retreat, but the other one follows how the connection between the investigator and the victim began, in the warmer tones of the Midwest. The resulting back-and-forth leads to a delightfully addictive mystery held up by the incomparable Emma Corrin.
"FX’s new limited series barely works as a murder mystery. But in the hands of creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, this isn’t necessarily a critical problem. It may be even part of the appeal."
— Nicholas Quah
"While some of its creative flourishes are actually fun, its largely grounded, purposeful, and affectingly earnest."
— Ben Travers
Gen Z amateur sleuth and tech-savvy hacker Darby Hart and eight other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire to participate in a retreat at a remote location. When one of the other guests is found dead, Darby must use her skills to prove it was murder before the killer takes another life.
After a guest is found dead in her secluded retreat, tech-savvy hacker and amateur detective Darby Hart has to use her skills to prove the death was a murder, before the killer decides to strike again.
With its premise, A Murder at the End of the World seems a bit too similar to the Glass Onion series– after all, both series involve an eccentric tech billionaire inviting guests to a retreat where a murder happens. But unlike the low-fi, money-driven, shallow friend group of Glass Onion, the host and guests in this show’s retreat are actually all tech-savvy individuals, heads in their respective fields. The tech aspects makes the show’s first episodes a bit slow paced, as it has to establish the state of sci-fi advancement the show’s world is in, but it’s great to see the show actually reckoning with the possibilities of future tech while pulling off a satisfying whodunit.
It’s really a delight to see Emma Corrin branching out of period dramas, and doing it so well.
Spirit Awards
1 nomination
WGA
1 nomination
