Disney+ has released The Shards, a new nine-episode thriller series set in 1981 Los Angeles created by Ryan Murphy and adapted from the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis.
The story follows a group of wealthy high school friends whose privileged lives of secret relationships and parties are upended when acquaintances begin dying in a series of gruesome attacks by a suspected serial killer.
Murphy, known for producing American Horror Story, and Ellis, author of American Psycho whose book was published in Spanish under the title Los destrozos, joined forces on the adaptation, which premiered on the streaming service Disney+.
Rich Students and Serial Murders in Sherman Oaks
Set in California in 1981, the drama centers on Bret, played by Igby Rigney, as he prepares for his final year at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks before attending a prestigious university. Bret is a wealthy, bisexual aspiring writer who serves as a narrative proxy for Ellis.
Bret navigates life alongside a close circle of friends, including his blonde girlfriend Debbie, played by Hayes Warner, with whom he trades insults and occasional sexual encounters. The group also includes his childhood friend Susan, played by Kaia Gerber, who serves as class representative and potential prom queen, and Susan's boyfriend Thom, played by Graham Campbell.
Bret's affluent lifestyle of sun terraces, parties, luxury vehicles, cocaine, and cocktails also permits him to have sex with local drug addict Matt Kelner, played by Owen Painter.
Their routines are disrupted by the arrival of Robert, a mysterious new student played by Homer Gere, whom Bret had previously glimpsed at a screening of the horror movie The Shining. Robert's arrival coincides with the appearance of a serial killer known as The Trawler.
The killer targets young people connected to the main characters, causing several to disappear before brutally murdering them and publicly displaying their remains alongside butchered domestic animal parts.
Period Aesthetics and Narrative Flaws
The series establishes early on, through Bret's voiceover narration, that the 1980s represented the golden age of serial killers. However, the overarching murder plot loses momentum over nine episodes as the narrative shifts toward Bret's internal paranoia regarding the causes and origins of the crimes.
Despite relying on limited exterior shots, the production successfully captures an authentic 1980s Los Angeles atmosphere. The show features detailed production design with precise period wardrobe, makeup, accessories, and room interiors that function as time capsules.
The combination of wealthy teenagers, snobbery, heavy cocaine consumption, exclusive clothing, luxury cars, and video pornography creates an unsettling environment. However, the series fails to deliver genuine terror and steadily deflates with each episode.
Cast Performances and Standout Roles
Performances across the cast yield mixed results. Rigney receives the most close-up shots as Bret, maintaining a fragile balance between surface appearances and underlying emotion, though his character's pathetic nature grows tedious over time.
Gerber remains fixed in a static role as Susan, while Warner begins with promise as Debbie but fails to expand her performance. Homer Gere, playing the enigmatic Robert, lacks the emotional range and complexity required for the character, with his bravado vanishing in close-up scenes and his seductive gestures falling flat.
Two supporting actors deliver standout performances reminiscent of the television series Twin Peaks. Wes Bentley plays Debbie's father, Terry Schaffer, a twisted, promiscuous, and hateful homosexual character whose performance could support a separate series.
Jordan Roth delivers the best performance in the show as Steven Reinhardt, portraying an abject manipulator operating on every level who appears to be acting in an entirely different project.
Hollywood Lineage and Cast Connections
Although famous surnames sometimes carry negative connotations in Hollywood, the series intentionally cast actors from prominent families to play high school students born into extreme wealth.
Homer Gere plays Robert Mallory in his first major acting role, following an appearance in the third season of Euphoria. Gerber plays Susan Reynolds, expanding her career as a model and actor as the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber.
The source noted a historical family connection between the lead actors, reporting that Gerber's mother, Cindy Crawford, and Gere's father, Homer Gere, were married for four years between 1991 and 1995.
