Lauren Beukes’s award-winning horror crime novel The Shining Girls was published in the spring of 2013 and gained critical and audience attention.
The story follows Kirby Mazrachi, a Chicago Sun-Times archivist who struggles to process and move forward from a near-fatal attack she suffered years prior. Upon further investigation, Kirby uncovers a grisly murder that appears identical to her attack, partnering up with her reporter co-worker to connect a series of similar murders over decades to this enigmatic killer. The novel was well-received as a divergence from other mainstream serial-killer novels in its unglorified portrayal of the central murderer.
This thrilling horror sci-fi novel came to life on Apple TV+ in April this year, releasing in weekly installments to make for a riveting eight-episode season. While the show has not yet been renewed, it received a high 88% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
With Elisabeth Moss as Kirby, the series showcases excellent performances and brilliant writing by industry giant Silka Luisa. The plot winds and twists with time-bending elements, reminiscent of recent sci-fi blockbuster shows like The OA and Dark. The series is also rich with interpersonal dynamics ranging from platonic partnership to Kirby’s confusing and reality-bending marriage.
This exhilarating story is wrought with multi-dimensional tension, incorporating elements of mystery, suspense, supernatural, and drama. With details from Kirby’s childhood, attack, and current life all connecting within a single killer’s web, the story leaves audiences reeling and desperate to unscramble the mystifying puzzle.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, "Shining Girls' time-bending conceit often induces a headache instead of thrills, but Elisabeth Moss' superb performance gives this mystery a riveting center of gravity," echoing many other critics’ assessment of Moss’s performance as a highlight. The story itself bends both time and science, incorporating surprising creativity to form a vivid and horrific magical world.
Still from Apple TV's Shining Girls.
Photo Credit: IMDBThe series is available now to stream on Apple TV+! The novel is linked below if you want more Shining Girls.
