The FX adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' 1980s teen serial killer novel, "The Shards," has been criticized for failing to capture the emotional depth it aims for. The series, co-created by Ryan Murphy and Ellis, reportedly becomes bogged down in its own density, struggling to balance generic teenage drama and killer thrills with deeper themes.
The narrative follows a high school student who becomes convinced a new classmate is a serial killer after a student's body is discovered and others begin to disappear. However, the protagonist's efforts to alert others are met with apathy from classmates preoccupied with homecoming and television dance competitions. Critics note that the protagonist seems more invested in solving the mystery than the police or even the parents of the missing.
"The Shards" is noted for being dense with cultural references, a hallmark of Ellis's work. To fully grasp the series, viewers are expected to understand the significance of films like "The Shining," a story about a writer's descent into madness, and "Chinatown," symbolizing deeply entrenched, systemic evil. The series also alludes to "Heaven's Gate," a financially disastrous film that marked the end of a specific era in Hollywood, leading the industry to focus on younger talent and fleeting trends. The protagonist's monologue about music videos as the future of art further situates the series within this context.
The casting choices are also highlighted as adding layers of meaning. Haley Gerber, the daughter of Gen X icon Cindy Crawford, is noted for her resemblance to her mother. Homer Gere, whose father Richard Gere starred in "American Gigolo"—a film that explored themes of sex and murder in Los Angeles and was written and directed by Paul Schrader, who also worked with Ellis on "The Canyons"—adds a further layer. The familial connections, such as Richard Gere's past marriage to Cindy Crawford, are even seen as adding a "pseudo-incestuous twinge" to the on-screen attraction between Gerber and Gere's characters. The intricate web of associations extends to Carrie Lowell, Gere's mother, who was previously married to Griffin Dunne, the nephew of author Joan Didion, an author both Ellis and his on-screen alter ego reportedly idolize.