Here at Geek Vibes Nation, we review the new Netflix series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, starring Emma Myers! This article does not contain spoilers.
You might have reservations about another young-adult adaptation coming to the streaming giant. The genre has become oversaturated, primarily because the streaming content wars are still firing on all cylinders. Also, the overall quality is inconsistent. However, the latest Netflix adaptation of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is more of a suburban storytelling noir that transcends romantic teen angst.
That’s because A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder features one of the strongest female characters to come along in years. This is a star-making turn by Emma Myers (Wednesday), whose performance is one of the year’s best. Myers brings intelligence, strength, and warmth to a role that could have been one-dimensional. Instead, she carries the series on her shoulders, a compulsively addictive detective story that is both surprising and satisfying.
Myers plays Pip Fitz-Amobi, a brilliantly deductive young woman on her way to Cambridge. For her application, she must choose a topic for a paper. While most proper English girls might opt for something like “Jane Eyre’s Obsession with the Corset and Gothic Colonialism,” we live in the true-crime podcast era. Pip selects the topic of a local town scandal—the murder of Andie Bell by her lover, Sal Singh, which occurred five years earlier.
The case has always haunted Pip. For one, Andie’s body has never been recovered. Additionally, Pip saw an upset Andie (Bridgerton’s India Lillie Davies) sneak into a classroom and gesture for Pip to stay silent when she was a child. A few moments later, Sal (Rahul Pattni) walks by and asks Pip if she has seen Andie, and the young girl points to the classroom. It’s a scene Pip cannot shake and a memory that constantly ruminates in her mind.
Sal takes his own life, which seems to confirm his guilt in the eyes of the community. However, Pip is convinced that Sal is innocent. She is driven by a gut feeling and a lingering sense of guilt, wondering if her actions—revealing where Andie had been hiding—may have inadvertently contributed to Andie’s demise. Pip then befriends Sal’s brother Ravi (Zain Iqbal) and seeks to unravel the mystery to find closure and perhaps the truth.
Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Holly Jackson. Written by Poppy Cogan (Red Rose, Chloe), this series is one of the best YA mysteries to come along in years. It combines classic detective plot twists with themes of identity, the public versus private persona, the illusion of perception versus reality, and the dynamics of race versus social status.
The scripts do a wonderful job of combining teenage life, a bubbly romance, and a sweet family dynamic, along with high school female friendships that feel authentic. However, as the story progresses, family and friends become suspects. In fact, the series is so well-written that there are very few if any, red herrings. The final two episodes lead to a labyrinthine plot that builds genuine suspense, keeping you guessing until the end.
That is no small feat nowadays. I cannot tell you how many mysteries within the first episodes are ruined because they are telegraphed and obvious from the very beginning, including the over-praised Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent. However, this series excels with its expert plotting. Watching Myer uncover subtle clues that surprise the audience is thrilling, thanks to her performance full of warmth and intelligence.
Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has enough down-and-dirty detective grit to transcend the YA genre a bit in the right direction. There is a nice sense of community, family, and friendship that allows the audience to hang their hat on the supporting characters. That action makes the series that much more effective. The writers peel back layers to find small-town secrets with its twist-layden narrative.
Myer’s committed performance makes everything possible. Some might dismiss the characters’ choices as silly, but they miss the point. The character’s evolving identity at a formative age shapes her future. Myer’s portrayal of Pip will become Netflix’s next great breakout character for years to come.
You can stream season one of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder only on Netflix on August 1, 2024.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder features one of the strongest Netflix female characters to come along in years. This is a star-making turn by Emma Myers, who brings an intelligence, strength, and warmth to a compulsively addictive detective story that is both surprising and satisfying.
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I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.
