All Her Fault instantly brings us into the action. It’s so fast that we’re left almost as breathless and fearful as Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) is about the fact that her son, Milo (Duke McCloud), whom she believed to be on a playdate with Jenny Kaminski’s (Dakota Fanning) son, has been kidnapped. There isn’t a single hesitation, and we’re thrown into the middle of the suspense, with the Peacock series rightfully knowing that we’ll be concerned simply because it’s a mother worried about her missing child.
In many respects, the limited series is not a straightforward mystery. Yes, it builds on the premise of Milo’s kidnapping, but there is so much more going on between the characters that it becomes more intriguing to explore their complex — and, at times, disturbing — dynamics than it is to figure out who took Milo and why. Once it’s confirmed that Milo is taken, the blame game begins, and it’s a game you’ll want to see through to the very end.
With a good amount of twists, a solid payoff, and pacing so slick that you’ll find yourself hooked on every moment, All Her Fault is magnificent at weaving a layered story with equally intriguing characters.
All Her Fault Is A Tightly Written & Paced Mystery Thriller
Based on the novel by Andrea Mara, the series is thematically rich. Not only does it tackle the ways in which Marissa and Jenny take on too much (careers, motherhood, marriage), but also how they are blamed for not living up to the absurdly high expectations thrust upon them. When Milo goes missing, the media and the public are quick to vilify Marissa — whether it’s judging her for not properly checking the text she received about Milo’s playdate or about information regarding her firm — while her husband, Peter (Jake Lacey), is barely probed.
The series manages to spin a twisted tale, one that grows more disconcerting as it goes on, with interpersonal intrigue. Marissa and Peter’s marriage is at the center, but All Her Fault doesn’t sidestep the exploration of Peter’s relationship with his siblings, Brian (Daniel Monks), who’s consistently in pain using crutches after an accident when he was a kid, and Lia (Abby Elliott), who shoulders guilt for what happened to Brian, which can be as, if not more, compelling.
The show’s title doubles down on one of its biggest themes, but it would be a mistake to believe its analysis is superficial. Even Detective Alcaras (Michael Peña) has a rich backstory; the more he discovers, the easier it is to also understand what drives his actions. Series creator Megan Gallagher and the writers have a firm grasp of the material.
With only eight episodes to tell a full story, All Her Fault doesn’t waste a single moment. It’s tightly written and paced, oozing with complexities that are waiting to be further dissected. It’s not a simple mystery thriller; it’s a study of characters and socioeconomic class, gender dynamics in a marriage, and the warped sense of control masked as responsibility to another. Crucially, the series is adept at exploring the performance of being a “perfect” mother and the burnout that can come with it.
The series juggles a lot without slowing down or losing momentum. Even as we ponder the who and why behind Milo’s kidnapping, the crackling and escalating tension between Marissa’s family, as well as her colleague and friend Colin (Jay Ellis), keeps us riveted. Between All Her Fault and the Apple TV show Down Cemetery Roadit’s been a good time for fans of mystery thrillers that pack a punch.
What’s more, the cast’s excellent performances take the story to a whole new level. Snook, who’s perhaps best known for her role in HBO’s Successionis especially sympathetic as Marissa, able to bring the tears and the strength to a role that requires the delicate balance of various emotions. She’s really the only person we don’t suspect throughout the season, and as her whole world falls apart, and what she’s capable of is tested, Snook brings a sense of vulnerability laced with steely determination.
Fanning’s Jenny acts as somewhat of a mirror to Marissa; when they’re with each other, they’re able to let their guard down, dropping the strained smiles and personas they’ve perfected within their bubbles. Fanning plays Jenny with a bone-deep tiredness that leaves her either one step away from breaking down or lashing out. Jenny could’ve so easily just been the friend Marissa leans on, but we’re shown her life and struggles, which are treated with just as much grace as Marissa’s.
And while the show is so often focused on Marissa and Jenny, it wouldn’t be as exciting to watch without a robust supporting cast. Sophia Lillis is a particular standout as Jenny’s nanny, Carrie Finch, while Lacey’s Peter oscillates between genuine care for his family and hurtful verbal lashouts. While the main characters are all suspects, the ultimate question is how far each of them can be pushed before they do something extreme. All Her Fault‘s best attribute is how it answers this question and the layers it adds to each of its characters along the way.
All episodes of All Her Fault are now streaming on Peacock.
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- NETWORKS
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Peacock, Sky Atlantic
- Directors
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Minkie Spiro
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