This New Hulu Show With 'Severance' Star Is a Must-See for Fans of High-Quality True Crime

Hulu has concluded its run of the dramatic miniseries Murdaugh: Death in the Family, based on one of the most high-profile criminal cases in recent years.

Starring Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette, the project chronicles the downfall of a powerful legal dynasty whose crimes and scandals shocked America.

What Is 'Murdaugh: Death in the Family' About?

In 2021, Alex Murdaugh discovered his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, shot to death on their family estate. The show then transports the viewers back in time to reveal the origins of the tragedy.

The Murdaughs are a powerful dynasty of prosecutors who have "reigned" in a region of South Carolina for decades. Meanwhile, another high-profile case unfolds. In 2019, Alex's son Paul caused a boating accident while intoxicated, resulting in the death of a young woman.

A journalist investigates these events, and the resulting story forms the basis of the script. Viewers can see how the Murdaughs have built a wall of immunity around themselves over the years.

'Murdaugh: Death in the Family' Is Based on a Real High-Profile Case & Accurately Depicts the Events

The plot centers on the high-profile criminal case that resulted in Alex Murdaugh's conviction and life imprisonment in 2023.

The series carefully reconstructs the events leading up to the tragedy, focusing on the death of Mallory Beach – the incident that first damaged the family's reputation.

Although the showrunners created a fictionalized interpretation rather than a documentary reconstruction, the project remains faithful to the key facts and names.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family goes beyond mere crime reporting to explore systemic issues, such as corruption and the impunity of the provincial elite, as well as how money and fear allow people to evade justice for years.

'Murdaugh: Death in the Family' Is Not a Dramatic Masterpiece, but It's Still a Strong, Tense True Crime Project

Despite its competent dramaturgy and relevant social critique, the series has its flaws. Chief among them is the sprawling, eight-episode format, which causes the narrative to lose focus midway through.

Furthermore, the project is unlikely to offer anything fundamentally new to those already familiar with the details of the case – it's not a sensational investigation.

Overall, Murdaugh: Death in the Family is a solid, tense project that is definitely worth watching for fans of the genre. It successfully fulfills its purpose of immersing viewers in a terrifying world where power and privilege have concealed a horrifying truth for years.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Murdaugh: Death in the Family'?

• Murdaugh: Death in the Family has 72% from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.2/10.