This Brand-New Ryan Murphy Thriller Is Giving Us ‘80s Chic With Sinister Sizzle

If you’re looking for your next thriller obsession, Ryan Murphy and Disney+ have got the goods. 

Steamy, sexy, and unapologetically gory, FX's The Shards is not only an addictive coming-of-age drama but a chilling murder mystery you won’t be able to escape. 

What We Know About The Shards So Far

Based on American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis’s meta-fictional novel of the same name, The Shards is a semi-autobiographical thriller series that reimagines Ellis’s final year of high school in '80s LA. 

Ellis is known for his dark yet decadent writing style. And when you combine that with Ryan Murphy’s long-running success with shows like American Horror Story, The Beauty, and Scream Queens, you can expect things to get pretty intense... in all the most delicious ways. 

Fast Cars, Fashion And Fatalities

The story follows a group of obscenely privileged (and ridiculously attractive) LA high schoolers whose lives take a depraved turn as an exhilaratingly mysterious new student arrives just as a serial killer known as ‘The Trawler’ starts to ravage the city. This sets off a complex web of paranoia, jealousy, rivalries, obsession, and then some.

The trailer’s giving us 80s soapy drama meets twisted teenage terror. Think the lavish lifestyles and general excess of Rivals, mixed with the psychological toxicity and oh-so-saucy scenes of Tell Me Lies. Plus the unsettling goriness of any season of American Horror Story, of course. 

FX's The Shards won’t be for the fainthearted, and you can expect plenty of blood, grim imagery and dark psychological undertones. But it’s also more than your average slasher series, offering plenty of character development and coming-of-age storylines to keep you coming back for more.

It’s sexy and voyeuristic, combining a synth-wave soundtrack (including original music from Troye Sivan), neon nightscapes, convertible cars, and iconic 80s fashion with gritty violence and a creepy sense that you shouldn’t be watching… but can’t quite look away.

Who Is In The Cast Of FX's The Shards On Disney+?

The ensemble cast features an intriguing mix of Hollywood heavyweights, high-profile industry heirs, and crossover artists. 

Cast members to keep an eye on include Igby Rigney (Grey's Anatomy) and Predator singer Hayes Warner in her acting debut. There are also some established names, including Evan Rachel Wood and Wes Bentley.

And, in a fun real-world twist, model, actress, and Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber, features alongside her mother’s former husband Richard Gere’s son, Homer Gere. It doesn’t really get any more meta-LA than that, does it?

Get Ready for Your New TV Obsession

FX's The Shards is a must-watch series to sink your teeth into this winter—a slick, prestige thriller for mystery lovers, but with all the drama of a big-budget Hollywood soap. It’s got guilty pleasure written all over it, and we simply cannot wait.

FX's The Shards is streaming exclusively on Disney+ from Thursday 6 August. Dive in here and get ready for new episodes dropping every Thursday.

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Disney+ and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why, read our editorial policy here.

Image credit: Disney+ | Supplied