I defy anyone not to find themselves hooked after the opening two episodes of Ryan Murphy’s The Shards, now streaming on Disney+, as a summer of suspense, seduction and obsession begins.
Based on the acclaimed bestselling novel by Bret Easton Ellis, The Shards, now streaming on Disney+, feels like a return to form for Ryan Murphy as it weaves its early ’80s tale of sex, murder, wealth, secrets, lies and fear.
Set in 1980s Los Angeles, The Shards follows a group of privileged high school seniors at an elite prep school as they navigate sex, jealousy, obsession, fear and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of a wealth-driven American adolescence. Bret (Igby Rigney) is an aspiring writer whose sense of reality begins to unravel, as the safety of his privilege and isolation is threatened by a series of murders and the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory (Homer Gere).
Alongside Bret is his elite social circle, which consists of Susan Reynolds (Kaia Gerber), Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner) and Thom Wright (Graham Campbell), a glamorous and deeply entangled group drawn into a life of wealth, beauty, parties and excess. The promise of their youth is contrasted with the dark and cynical world of the adults surrounding them: Terry Schaffer (Wes Bentley), Liz Schaffer (Evan Rachel Wood) and Steven Reinhardt (Jordan Roth).
A fusion of the unique style and vision of Murphy and Ellis, The Shards is dripping with 80s nostalgia, yet it’s not the nostalgia that drives this gripping adaptation; it’s the exquisite performances, tension, horror, discussions on class and wealth and the rampant sexuality. Yes, there is more than a sprinkling of creative license in this adaptation, and some may argue that the gloss distracts from the grittiness of the novel and its discussions on creative control and the loss of it. All of these criticisms are valid, but for me, Murphy has crafted a loving adaptation that isn’t afraid to embellish and colourise some of the key themes of Ellis’ colder and more clinical work.
Both the TV show and novel have paranoia, fear, the outsider and bubbles of perfection about to burst at their heart in a rapidly changing, capitalist-driven United States where difference needed to be disguised to fit in. Part glossy teen soap and part tense serial-killer horror, The Shards may not always manage to balance the two harmoniously, but that doesn’t make it any less addictive.
Follow Us