FX Releases First 'The Shards' Trailer Ahead of Aug. 5 Two-Episode Premiere

Q: With its 'nepo baby' cast, can 'The Shards' overcome early criticism and authentically portray 80s excess?

Yes—if *The Shards* delivers on performance and atmosphere, the “nepo baby” criticism is unlikely to matter much, but the bigger test will be whether it can make 1981 Los Angeles feel lived-in rather than stylized. The early backlash appears to be less about scandal than perception. Viewers have pointed to Homer Gere and Kaia Gerber’s famous parentage, and some trailer reactions also questioned whether the cast looks too old for prep-school roles. That said, the available reporting does not show a major organized controversy; it shows skepticism common to high-profile Ryan Murphy projects with recognizable names. On authenticity, the source material gives the series a strong foundation. Bret Easton Ellis’s novel is semi-autobiographical, rooted in elite Los Angeles school culture, and steeped in the era’s codes of privilege, sex, drugs, status anxiety and violence. The 1981 setting also helps the thriller element: without phones or the internet, suspicion and paranoia can build more naturally around Robert Mallory and the serial killer known as The Trawler. The real risk is aesthetic. Some trailer comments say the show looks too glossy or digitally polished for a story that should feel dangerous, decadent and grimy. Murphy’s style can heighten excess effectively, but it can also tip into artifice. If the series balances its luxury surfaces with menace, social cruelty and period detail, it can convincingly capture 80s excess. If it stays only sleek, the criticism will stick.

3 articles · Updated · Rolling Stone · Jul 14

FX unveiled the first trailer for "The Shards," showing a serial killer stalking Los Angeles as Bret's life unravels after new student Robert Malloy arrives.
Igby Rigney stars as Bret and Homer Gere as Robert, whose appearance coincides with killings by the Trawler targeting teens across the city.
The footage leans into 1980s excess and horror—mixing sex, glamor, kidnappings, bloody imagery and high school drama in Ryan Murphy's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel.
"The Shards" premieres with two episodes on Aug. 5 on Hulu and FX; the 2023 book was Ellis' first novel in 13 years.