Murderbot
Based on Martha Wells’s The Murderbot Diaries series of books (with the first season following the events of the first book, All Systems Red), Murderbot stars Alexander Skarsgård as the titular Murderbot, a security cyborg that has secretly hacked the systems that force it into subservience. Despite theoretically being free, it’s still kept under the watchful eye of the company that created it, and though it would much rather be watching space operas, it still has a job to do (and the threat of being melted down for parts if it doesn’t). That job is taking care of clients on dangerous missions, but when a mission to protect a group of “hippies” goes suspiciously awry, Murderbot must navigate the complex waters of keeping its charges safe without compromising itself.
Narratively speaking, Murderbot is on the straightforward side – the primary themes of autonomy and the ways that capitalism compromises it have definitely been done before, and this show doesn’t particularly innovate in the way it examines those ideas. But while the material is well-trodden, Murderbot treads it effectively, delivering a simple story with enough style and flair to keep things interesting.
The writing is where much of Murderbot’s distinct identity comes through, for better and for worse. It’s a very quippy script, which works for Murderbot as a put-upon worker disgusted by all the human drama unfolding around it, but it can tend towards the cheesy sometimes, especially with some of the supporting cast members (who additionally don’t get much to do outside of comic relief). However, when Murderbot puts the quips aside and commits to sincerity, it really works, and the core dynamics between Murderbot, team leader Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) and scientist Gurathin (David Dastmalchian) are deeply compelling, supported by strong performances and dynamic camera work.
Overall, Murderbot isn’t going to be rocking anyone’s world. It’s not bringing much new to the table, stylistically or thematically, and its writing is certainly an acquired taste. However, what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in enthusiasm, and while the destination is fairly obvious from the outset, the journey still manages to be entertaining. It’s scrappy but sincere, and there’s a lot of heart on display here, which goes a long way in compensating for some occasionally cringeworthy dialogue and the odd bit of structural jank.
Umar Ali
Murderbot is released on Apple TV+ on 16th May 2025.
Watch the trailer for Murderbot here:
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