#SXSW: “SHINING GIRLS”

By Mr. Will Wong

Based on Lauren Beukes‘ acclaimed Novel THE SHINING GIRLS, Apple TV+’s SHINING GIRLS delivers on the twisty thrills of its source material. The genre-bending Sci-Fi-Thriller series stars Elisabeth Moss as Kirby Mazrachi, who falls victim to a vicious attacker. Just avoiding death, she survives to hunt her assailant down. While this is a premise we’ve heard before, what makes this story interesting is that the time-travelling attacker, Harper Curtis (Jamie Bell) has a purpose. He must murder bright, successful women to be able to continue further in his time travels.

Moss has a hand in producing, directing and starring in this suspenseful Series and if you loved her in The Invisible Man, tonally there are some echoes of the quiet, vulnerable brilliance we saw in that Film. Her Kirby is confused, shaken and traumatized and it is up to us to uncover what happened exactly to her as she makes amends too these painful memories she’s suppressed. Bell is haunting, disarming at first, but just that little bit too eager to get to know his victims, before launching his attack. Also featured prominently is Wagner Moura as Dan who works at the newspaper which Kirby is employed. Dan had written about Kirby‘s attack years prior, but never followed-up on it and together they form multi-layer alliance to help her understand her present and her past.

Canadian Director and Producer Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad, The Morning Show) has a hand in directing the Series’ first two episodes, which leaves us wanting more.

SHINING GIRLS arrives on Apple TV+ April 29, 2022. It screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

Shining Girls at ZACH Theatre

Mar 13, 2022 2:45pm—3:39pm

Shining Girls at Online Screening

Mar 14, 9:00am CDT – Mar 16, 9:00am CDT 9:00am—9:54am