Review: ‘The Shards’ Sees Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis Team Up for an Excess-Fueled Drama of Teen Angst and Serial Murder
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, film critic Eleanor Wright wrote in an exclusive review: Halloween 1981 descends upon the privileged teenagers of Los Angeles in FX and Hulu’s new limited series The Shards. Debbie (Hayes Warner), the spoiled daughter of a prominent Hollywood executive, is determined to throw a lavish party despite a citywide curfew imposed by a ruthless serial killer on the loose. Her close friend Susan (Kaia Gerber) suggests a “District 54” theme—Studio 54 in outer space. Debbie dryly warns: “I think we need to guard against taking the tackiness too far.”
A nine-episode adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s 600-page semi-autographical novel (author of the seminal American Psycho), The Shards is co-created alongside Ryan Murphy. The series serves up a sprawling portrait of 1980s indulgence, pop soundtracks, wealth, and complex relationships, but ultimately delivers an uneven and disjointed narrative that fizzles out in its finale without reaching a clear resolution.
Igby Rigney stars as Bret Ellis, a senior at the elite Buckley School in Sherman Oaks who dreams of escaping Southern California. Bret offers a self-absorbed narration of his world—one where parents are permanently away in Europe and teenagers navigate adultless lives fueled by drugs and risky behavior. The few parents who are present—such as Debbie’s father (Wes Bentley) and mother (Evan Rachel Wood)—are consumed by their own midlife crises and prescription anti-anxiety medications.
The arrival of two distinct elements disrupts this insulated group: first, Robert Mallory (Homer Gere), a handsome, mysterious transfer student with a history at a psychiatric facility; and second, a serial killer known as “The Trawler,” who tortures his victims before murdering them. While his peers remain oblivious, Bret alone notices the unsettling correlation between Robert’s arrival and the start of the killing spree. However, his friends dismiss his suspicions, accusing him of fabricating drama to fuel the novel he is writing (Less Than Zero).
By Episode 5, the series undergoes a jarring tonal shift as Ryan Murphy takes over directing duties, deviating significantly from Ellis’s source material. Leaning into campy, dark comedy reminiscent of Murphy’s Scream Queens, these episodes embrace surreal sequences—including dance competitions and Shakespeare classes—yielding a chaotic yet undeniably more entertaining stretch.
Among the cast, Hayes Warner and Kaia Gerber manage to bring unexpected nuance to their roles. Meanwhile, the adult ensemble—including Wes Bentley, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jordan Roth—flawlessly capture Ryan Murphy’s signature stylized tone.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis, The Shards stars Igby Rigney, Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, Evan Rachel Wood, and Wes Bentley. The series premiered on FX and Hulu on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
