Brit Marling, and her creative partner Zal Batmanglij, have been working together for many years; however, their 2016 show The OA was their first foray into creating and writing their own TV series. Though it didn’t work for me personally, even as I appreciated the originality and the work by the cast, it’s continued to be a beloved series, perhaps even more so after its early, and untimely, cancellation after only two series. Since that time Marling, like her character in her new FX series ‘A Murder at the End of the World’, appears to have been lying low with few credits to her name (if any) between series. Fans needn’t have worried however, for it appears she and Batmanglij were merely taking their time in developing this new series, which has been one of the highlights in an already strong year of television.
‘A Murder at the End of the World’ Review
Emma Corrin and Harris Dickinson in FX’s ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ (Source: FX)
‘A Murder at the End of the World’ begins with an unassuming young girl, named Darby Hart (played Emma Corrin), as she enters a bookshop to give a talk on her true crime tale. At first the few members of the audience even deign to listen to her as she begins her talk; however, gradually as she weaves together her story of her and her compatriot Bill’s search for a serial killer the audience perks up intrigued. Hart starts at the end, telling how though the case ended, she became estranged with her now former partner. Shortly after this Hart, shown also to be a passionate hacker, is invited by a billionaire named Andy Ronson (Clive Owens) to a remote retreat in Iceland where she and the other guest are brought together for a conference of the minds where all the best and brightest come together to develop the ideas that can change, and perhaps save, the future of humanity. Hart finds that Ronson is married to her hero Lee Andersen (Britt Marling), who went off the grid after she was doxxed. She also finds to her surprise Bill (Harris Dickinson), now a renowned guerilla artist a la a Banksy type, has been invited. Hart doesn’t have much time to take this all in before she discovers one of the attendees appears to have been killed, which leads her on a hunt for the killer hopefully before more of the isolated party start dying.
Unlike ‘The OA’ Marling doesn’t center her character in this story instead letting Corrin, and in largely flashbacks Dickinson, take the lead. Both are more than up to the task, as they work wonderfully together and really showcase perfectly a Gen-Z burgeoning romance, often complicated by their purpose and intent to catch a serial killer. In present day Corrin’s Hart, clearly impacted by her seperation from Bill, demonstrates so perfectly what she’s lost from that distance, and even as she throws herself into solving the murder its as if you can feel the weight of her brief, but intense, life on her face and in her actions. Dickinson for his part really stood out in ‘The Triangle of Sadness’, a film that didn’t work for me personally, but is even better used here, where he can actually evoke such sadness and complexities as he wrestles with the tumultousness of their relationship.
Once in the remote complex, and once the first body is found, then we start getting to engage with other characters, where we see Marling start to take more of a lead, along with Owen. Interestingly Marling’s given herself a character that appears to be comparatively meek, especially when we consider Hart’s knowledge of her as a fierce tech hacker. Of course in mysteries such perceptions can be false, as characters reveal more of their true selves. Owen’s Ronson, a tech billionaire who could be a stand-in for a Bezos or a Musk, is much more of a forceful character, though likewise hiding perhaps layers of complexities. Owen’s played tough and strong before; however, this seems to be a departure as it’s a broodier, less action oriented role, which I enjoyed even as we’re unsure what to think of the character.
Brit Marling in FX’s ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ (Source: FX)
As for the mystery itself (or the dual mystery in many ways with the serial killer hunt as well), there was certainly a lot to keep the viewer engaged and guessing up until the end, though I do think they played fair with clues. Though no Agatha Christie; however much “locked room mysteries” such as these will be compared to her works, it’s a more modern take on such a case, and one that I think is very fitting for the times. Afterall unlike Christie’s stately homes in the 30’s and 40s, where a burnt letter could mean a clue destroyed, this bunker is rife with information, and with so many hackers, and geniuses, at the conference it appears to all be at their disposal. However that doesn’t mean this mystery is easy, and I found it plotted in a compelling way that kept me waiting for each new episode.
What surprised me, especially as I didn’t know how much time would be spent past or present, is how gripping the solved case from Hart’s book would be. Ultimately we know by her reading, or at least are led to assume, the hunt is complete, and yet watching the pair track this mystery serial killer down, often alone and in remote locations, really kept my blood pumping. I was honestly quite surprised in past and present how many jump scares this show had, for me at least, but it kept the excitement high even as they delved into more dialogue heavy scenes.
Unlike ‘The OA’, Marling and Batmanglij weren’t trying to build some grand alter-world with this series, as they instead seemed to play with tech tropes and send-ups of billionaires. Yet again this pair approached the mystery series – so beloved, and excitedly so present again in our pop culture – with new eyes, and they really offered some new insights along the way. Locked mysteries are a trope; however, with these compelling characters, and a centering on victims, this series was as entertaining as it was refreshing. Even though I’d be happy if this series wrapped with this as its only season, for it certainly tied everything together nicely, there’s a large part of me that wants to return to the world of Darby Hart, and certainly an interest in seeing anything Marling and Batmanglij create in the future.
