A Murder at the End of the World

A Murder at the End of the World

Company type	Limited series
Industry	Television
Founded	2023 (2023)
Founder	Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij
Headquarters	United States
Area served	United States, Latin America, international (via Disney+)
Key people	Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij
Products	Psychological mystery thriller miniseries
Website	www.fxnetworks.com/shows/a-murder-at-the-end-of-the-world

A Murder at the End of the World is a psychological mystery thriller miniseries from the United States, developed by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij for FX on Hulu. The narrative centers on Emma Corrin portraying an amateur investigator unraveling a homicide at a secluded Arctic retreat located in Iceland. The ensemble cast also features Marling, Clive Owen, and Harris Dickinson in significant roles.

This series represents the fifth joint effort of Marling and Batmanglij and debuted with its initial two episodes on November 14, 2023. Subsequent episodes were released weekly until December 19, 2023. Its premiere, originally set for August 29, 2023, was postponed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Critical reception has been favorable, with multiple outlets listing it among the top television productions of 2023.

Premise

The storyline follows Darby Hart, an amateur sleuth who is invited alongside eight other individuals by a reclusive billionaire to a remote compound in the Arctic region of Iceland. Following the death of one guest, Darby must demonstrate that it was murder while navigating conflicting agendas before the perpetrator can strike once more.

Main

• Emma Corrin as Darby Hart, an amateur detective. A younger version of Darby is played by Anastasia Lee.
• Brit Marling as Lee Andersen, wife to Andy and a former hacker
• Harris Dickinson as William Bill Farrah, Darby's ex-partner
• Clive Owen as Andy Ronson, a billionaire entrepreneur in technology
• Edoardo Ballerini as Ray, an artificial intelligence system
• Alice Braga as Dr. Sian Cruise, astronaut and medical doctor
• Joan Chen as Lu Mei, developer of smart cities
• Raúl Esparza as David Alvarez, business partner to Andy
• Jermaine Fowler as Martin Mitchell, documentary filmmaker
• Ryan J. Haddad as Oliver Marwan, a disabled roboticist
• Pegah Ferydoni as Ziba, activist from Iran
• Javed Khan as Rohan Ravjit, climatologist
• Louis Cancelmi as Todd Andrews, head of security for Andy

Recurring

• Christopher Gurr as Marius
• Britian Seibert as Dr. Eva Andrews, spouse of Todd
• Kellan Tetlow as Zoomer Ronson, son of Andy and Lee
• Neal Huff as Darby's father
• Daniel Olson as Tomas
• Annette Wright as Dorthey

Development

On August 13, 2021, FX commissioned the limited series initially named Retreat, created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, who also took on roles as executive producers, writers, and directors. This project marked their fifth partnership following their previous work on Netflix’s mystery-science fiction drama The OA (2016–2019). Additional executive producers included Andrea Sperling, Melanie Marnich, and Nicki Paluga.

The concept for the series began taking shape in 2019 when Marling and Batmanglij drew inspiration from themes involving amateur detectives, young female investigators, and Gen Z’s deep familiarity with online information. Early access to ChatGPT also influenced elements within the screenplay.

Casting

Alongside the series announcement, Marling’s involvement as a co-star was confirmed. On October 11, 2021, Emma Corrin was announced to lead the cast as Darby Hart. By February 11, 2022, the principal cast expanded to include Clive Owen, Harris Dickinson, Alice Braga, Jermaine Fowler, Joan Chen, Raúl Esparza, Edoardo Ballerini, Pegah Ferydoni, Ryan J. Haddad, and Javed Khan. Recurring roles were filled by Daniel Olson and Britian Seibert in April 2022.

Filming

The main phase of filming commenced on February 7, 2022, with shoots taking place in Kearny, New Jersey, Utah, and Iceland. In April 2022, production moved to Readington River Buffalo Farm located in Readington, New Jersey. Additional footage was captured in Rockaway Boro, New Jersey. Marling confirmed that the final day of filming occurred on September 2, 2022. By the end of December 2022, all principal photography had concluded.

Release

The seven-episode miniseries debuted in the United States on November 14, 2023, via FX on Hulu, with the first two episodes released simultaneously and subsequent episodes made available weekly. Initially planned for an August 29, 2023 launch, the premiere was postponed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Outside the U.S., the series premiered on Disney+, while viewers in Latin America accessed it through Star+.

Promotion

To support the series launch, FX Networks implemented an extensive multi-month puzzle campaign that incorporated websites, tangible objects, and Instagram. The initiative began at The Mysterious Bookshop, where fans deciphered pages revealing the initial promotional image. The campaign continued at San Diego Comic-Con’s A Murder At The End Of The World booth, where attendees received NFC-enabled rings linking to an exclusive webpage that unveiled a trailer.

Audience viewership

According to ReelGood’s real-time tracking data from 5 million U.S. streaming users, A Murder at the End of the World ranked as the most viewed program during the week of November 23. JustWatch placed it as the second highest streamed TV series in the U.S. for both the weeks of November 19 and November 26.

Statistics from Television Stats indicated that the show led Hulu’s Top TV Shows chart starting November 14, 2023, and sustained this position through November 27.

Critical response

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes shows an approval rating of 88%, with an average score of 6.9/10 based on 59 critic reviews. Its consensus reads: "As puzzling as it is captivating, Murder at the End of the World offers a compelling intellectual challenge for admirers of Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij's distinctive narrative style." On Metacritic, the series received a score of 73 out of 100 from 32 critics, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."

A Murder at the End of the World was recognized among the top television shows of 2023 by prominent publications such as Variety, Elle, Rolling Stone, LA Times, Boston Globe, The New York Post, The New Republic, The Wrap, Collider, The Ringer, and Vulture.

Fan response

To engage with puzzles released by FX Networks, fans established a Discord community named ''Angel Neurosis.'' This group expanded rapidly from an initial 30 members to approximately 1,000 throughout the series’ broadcast period and organized weekly viewing parties. Cast and crew members such as Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling, Javed Kahn, Edoardo Ballerini, Daniel Olson, and Alex DiGerlando joined live discussions with fans, fostering deeper interaction and strengthening audience commitment.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome
2024	Art Direction Guild Awards	Excellence in Production Design for a Television Movie or Limited Series	Alex DiGerlando	Template:Nom
	BAFTA Television Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Harris Dickinson	Template:Nom
	Critics' Choice Awards	Best Limited Series	A Murder at the End of the World	Template:Nom
	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series	Emma Corrin	Template:Nom
	Visual Effects Society Awards	Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode	Aaron Raff, Tavis Larkham, Douglas Stichbury, Mat Ellin (for "Crypt")	Template:Nom
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Limited Series	Zal Batmanglij, Cherie Dimaline, Brit Marling, Melanie Marnich, Rebecca Roanhorse	Template:Nom