In a famous article that appeared a few years ago in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the possible subgenus of the “dead girl” was described (dead girl show), inaugurated by Twin Peaks and continued by The killing, Pretty little l iars, True detective, just to name a few. The plot is set in motion by the murder of a girl, whose corpse becomes the center of attention, but the protagonist is the detective who investigates the murder, who will find in the story an opportunity for change and growth.
The success met by these series, it is said, derives from the fact that they stir up primitive impulses, the contrast between the impulses of protection and predation of the young girls’ bodies. The culprits, in fact, are mostly male authority figures, the same ones who arrogated to themselves the right to discipline and control.
Shining girls (Apple tv +, April 29), based on the novel of the same name by the South African writer Lauren Beukes, certainly belongs to this trend, but with a variant already tested by Veronica Mars o Top of the lake: the detective is himself a victim, and also investigates to solve his own case. We are in 1992 and Kirby Mazrachi (Elisabeth Moss), who miraculously survived a brutal assault, discovers that another woman has been attacked (and killed) in the same way. Kirby is an archivist for the Chicago Sun Times and teams up with reporter Dan Velasquez (Wagner Moura) to find the killer. As often happens in the series about the dead girl, she soon borders on the supernatural: Kirby’s reality changes suddenly and continuously, so much so that she has to keep a diary in which to note where she works, who she lives with, if her pet is a dog. or a cat.
For at least the first half, the series definitely captures the attention: the narrative mystery is intricate but interesting, the chemistry between Moss and Moura is very strong, the setting in the early 90s is refined and attractive. When the knots begin to unravel, however, one is perplexed: not wanting to do spoilerI will limit myself to saying that the solution of the mystery seems a completely arbitrary gimmick and leaves several questions on its interpretation, on what really are the themes that the series intended to address.
Shining girls, Silka Luisa, Apple tv +, from 29 April