A Murder at the End of the World Review: An Intriguing Mystery, a More Intriguing Detective

The post A Murder at the End of the World Review: An Intriguing Mystery, a More Intriguing Detective appeared first on Consequence.

The Pitch: Darby Hart (Emma Corrin), thanks to being raised by a coroner, knows an awful lot about death, and how it’s investigated. She’s also a skilled computer hacker and a newly-published author of a true-crime book, and it’s at least one of those talents which leads to her receiving an out-of-the-blue invite from world-renowned tech mogul Andy Ronson (Clive Owen) and his legendary hacker wife Lee (Brit Marling), to attend an intimate retreat in Iceland with other thought leaders from various fields.

The guest list includes a filmmaker (Jermaine Fowler), a former astronaut (Alice Braga), and Bill (Harris Dickinson), a tech-minded artist who Darby knew as a teenager, when the two of them connected online to investigate the murders at the center of Darby’s book. Despite the gorgeous luxury of the eco-friendly hotel where Ronson’s guests have gathered, things start off awkwardly and only get more awkward when (as you might guess from the title) a mysterious death occurs. Thanks to a lifetime of experience, Darby’s the perfect person to solve it — but is it the answer as simple as whodunnit?

Everyone’s a Suspect: What’s fascinating about A Murder at the End of the World from the start is that everything about its basic premise feels like a pretty conventional murder mystery, one firmly in the tradition of classic storytellers like Agatha Christie. Yet it’s the work of The OA creators Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, two iconoclastic writer/directors whose past work could hardly be described as conventional, and that’s reflected in every beat of the execution.

Split at times almost equally between the present day and flashbacks to Darby and Bill investigating the original mystery that brought them together, the series leans heavily on the austere scenery of Iceland as well as the arid Midwest to express a chilly vibe — the exact opposite of a cozy Christie mystery in tone. However, that doesn’t prevent the development of real human emotion throughout, though primarily through Darby’s own awkward eyes; an early scene between Darby and Bill set to Annie Lennox’s “No More ‘I Love You’s'” sets up an entire love story without any actual dialogue.

There are a number of Big Ideas woven throughout the series, like a fascination with generative AI that can’t help but feel about six months out of date (not necessarily Marling and Batmanglij’s fault, except for them not being able to predict just how fast that technology would advance), and a deep fear of climate-related terrors to come (which, depressingly enough, feels all too relevant and accurate today).

The presence of these Big Ideas, in contrast to the more prosaic question of who the murderer might be, at times feels like an effort to elevate the narrative. However, those Big Ideas aren’t the show’s most compelling element. Instead, it’s a master class in detail-rich storytelling, lush cinematography and sharp editing coming together to use one of pop culture’s most commercial genres to play with audience expectations, while never losing sight of some fascinating characters.

A Murder at the End of the World (FX)

Hercule Poirot, Meet Darby Hart: Beyond the final reveal of its killer (a topic this review will not get into, because of spoilers), a story of this type lives or dies on the strength of its ensemble, which is populated by a powerful collection of actors — if there are any weak links in the cast, it’s only because the writing doesn’t grant every character an equal amount of attention (the legendary Joan Chen in particular feels underserved in comparison to others).

However, those who do get the spotlight thrive. Darby, with her myriad tattoos and ever-changing hair color, is about as far as you can get from the young Princess Diana, and Emma Corrin seems to glory in that, bringing a raw tomboyish edge to the role and making it feel singularly her own. From her backstory to her signature look, everything about Darby Hart feels like we’re witnessing the creation of a new iconic girl detective for the 21st century — a less misanthropic Lisbeth Salander, one with a clear perspective on the world in which she lives, but still capable of deep empathy.

Meanwhile, Marling has typically played a central role in the projects she and Batmanglij have created together (it’s not hard to imagine the role of Darby being originally developed for her to play), here she’s more involved as a director, switching off helming episodes with Batmanglij. As Lee, a hacker who survived a brutal doxxing prior to her marriage to Ronson, Lee remains largely an enigma, especially early on. Yet her flinty interactions with her husband are the first indication that not everything is perhaps perfect in Ronson’s austere arctic haven, the beginning of an increasingly unsettling experience.

The Verdict: A Murder at the End of the World is two mysteries for the price of one, in ways that could be considered frustrating at times — if only because both on their own could easily be separate series. “It’s so hard to fall in love for the first time while tracking a serial killer,” Darby writes in her book, about her time investigating that original cold case with Bill; that one line is enough plot for seven episodes on its own.

Combining them together, though, means that we get the full rich texture of Darby’s origin story — the investigation with Bill — alongside their reunion; it also means we (eventually) get the full picture of who she is by the time big decisions need to be made. It’s really not hard to imagine a series of Darby Hart mysteries, as she’s that compelling a character, and Corrin is remarkably skilled at taking all of her quirks and synthesizing them into a relatable, memorable whole.

Really, as the character’s existence is a tribute to classic detectives of literature, who solved countless mysteries over their fictional live, the best way to continue that tribute would be to keep finding new mysteries for Darby Hart to solve. The likelihood of another Darby Hart adventure, of course, depends on the success of this one, as well as whether or not her creators are interested in continuing her story. That might be too conventional for Marling and Batmanglij, but perhaps they’d consider it.

Where to Watch: FX’s A Murder at the End of the World premieres November 14th on Hulu. New episodes premiere weekly.

Trailer:

A Murder at the End of the World Review: An Intriguing Mystery, a More Intriguing Detective
Liz Shannon Miller

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