A Murder at the End of the World

I just finished watching Murder at the End of the World because I hate waiting a week between shows so I wait until the season is done and then binge it. I'm definitely glad I did that with this series because it's better as a binge watch. It will keep you guessing throughout the entire show. While it's almost impossible to guess who actually committed these murders, if you really pay attention you might be able to guess who's behind them and why. This series has so many gifted actors in this while all at the top of their game. Brit Marling not only stars in this but is also one of the writers and if you've seen any of Marling's stuff you know she always delivers. Besides the performances, they bring a lot of important subjects to the forefront like climate change and artificial intelligence.

As a big fan of whodunit type shows and movies I was really looking forward to Murder at the End of the World. It did not disappoint. First of all, what a cast. Clive Owen, Harris Dickinson, Emma Corrin, Brit Marling, Alice Braga, etc. With a cast like that you knew the acting was going to be on point so if the writing is good then you have yourself a good show. Well, the writing definitely holds up its end too. The show is about a Gen Z amateur sleuth/hacker named, Darby Hart (Corrin), as she attempts to solve the murder of her former boyfriend (Dickinson) at a secluded retreat with 8 other high profile guests. Corrin is coming off a Emmy nomination for her job in The Crown and she's just as good in this. She has a really bright future as an actress.

The show is very interesting and different from the classic whodunnit series. It touches on modern subjects of climate change, hacking, AI, the tech industry clashing with art. It also contains a moving love story.

Most of the show keeps you in suspense, there are some great tension packed scenes.

The acting is also wonderful, both from the main actress and Clive Owen.

Unfortunately, as typical for the whodunnit genre - the ending leaves much to be desired. There are missed opportunities there which I won't go into to avoid spoilers.

Suffice to say that the last episode lacks tension and the characters make some, hm, peculiar choices.

I'd recommend for a watch in winter, under a blanket and with hot chocolate. But don't expect a masterpiece. It's interesting and mostly engaging, with some meaningful messages, but it's not perfect by any means.

A Murder At The End Of The World is a whodunnit murder mystery somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. Sometimes a bit confusing so not the easiest plot to follow, and it was a bit too slow paced also at times. Emma Corrin plays the head character, the one that likes to investigate, and although she's not a bad actress I found her sometimes overdramatic. Maybe because of the script, that could have been better. Certainly the ending that I found disappointing. The series is only seven episodes long and is about two different stories in different timelines. The main story takes place in a ultramodern bunker whilst the side story, a hunt for a serial killer, was in my opinion much more interesting to follow. Because of the unsatisfying ending and the few overdramatised scenes I'm just going to score it a six which means good enough to watch once.

There is a lot to praise about "A Murder At The End Of The World": the production design, the extraordinary location (Iceland - a feast for the eyes of any "winter person"), the hypnotic score, the convincing and committed performances, particularly from Emma Corrin who resembles a lot a young Jodie Foster. There are passages that speak about cell phones and technology more eloquently than I ever could but say exactly what I want to say. However, many of the secondary characters are not developed enough, and the overabundance of flashbacks deflates some of the tension in the "present" tense; the ending is OK but not mind-blowing. The series does not reach the heights of the best episodes of "The OA", the previous project by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, but like its predecessor, it at least represents the vision, flaws and all, of its creators and not of a studio executive conference. It's an "auteur" endeavor in an era of mass factory production, and that is commendable. 7/10.