Ryan Murphy’s Dark New Series Lands on Disney+, Critics Are Already Raving

Ryan Murphy has built his career on turning true crime, camp horror, and stylish melodrama into some of television’s most talked-about series, from ‘American Horror Story’ to ‘Glee.’ His latest project marks another shift in tone, this time adapting a novel that’s spent years being described as one of the more unsettling coming-of-age stories in modern fiction.

That project is ‘The Shards,‘ based on Bret Easton Ellis’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. The series premiered on FX and Hulu in the United States on August 5, and it’s now available internationally on Disney+, giving global audiences their first look at Murphy’s stylish, unsettling take on the material.

Set in 1981 Los Angeles, the story follows a 17-year-old version of Ellis himself during his final year at the elite Buckley prep school. His world gets upended by the arrival of a mysterious transfer student, Robert Mallory, whose unsettling presence coincides with a string of murders committed by a serial killer known only as The Trawler.

That combination of teenage anxiety and creeping dread has already caught the attention of critics reviewing the series. Early reviews have praised the show’s atmosphere and visual style, with one critic describing it as hypnotic and visually stunning while calling it one of FX’s most distinctive dramas in recent years despite not every creative choice landing perfectly.

Leading the series is Igby Rigney, who plays the fictionalized version of Ellis, delivering what critics have singled out as a genuine breakout performance anchoring the show’s emotional core. He’s joined by Homer Gere as the enigmatic Robert Mallory, alongside Kaia Gerber, Evan Rachel Wood, and Wes Bentley rounding out the ensemble.

Reviews have noted that the series doesn’t function as a traditional, twist-driven thriller, instead leaning into a deliberately slow pace that asks viewers to sit with discomfort, unreliable narration, and morally murky characters. That approach has divided critics somewhat, with some praising its commitment to mood while others feel the story occasionally sags under the weight of its own atmosphere.

Despite the mixed critical reception, with the show currently sitting at a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, ‘The Shards’ has performed well with audiences right out of the gate. The series reportedly landed among the most-watched titles on both Disney+ and Hulu within its first day of release, proving that Murphy’s brand still carries significant pull with streaming audiences regardless of critical consensus.

‘The Shards’ arrives as just one piece of a packed upcoming slate for Murphy, who also has ‘American Horror Story’ returning to FX for its thirteenth season this September. That new installment is being billed as something of a greatest-hits season, bringing back fan-favorite characters and cast members from across the franchise’s history.

With Murphy continuing to juggle multiple high-profile projects at once, ‘The Shards’ stands out as one of his more atmospheric and slow-burning efforts yet, trading some of his usual camp sensibility for something moodier and more restrained. Whether that shift pays off in the long run may depend on how audiences respond as the series continues to roll out its remaining episodes.