|
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION | ||
|
Positive:
21
Mixed:
8
Negative:
0
|
Critic Reviews
LooperMay 12, 2025
Season 1 Review:
Wells devotees are bound to have their quibbles with the way "Murderbot" makes the leap from page to screen. Those issues aside, and apart from the occasional pacing hiccup, this a remarkable new series packed with humor, heart, and big ideas that are both constantly present and never in the way of a thumping good sci-fi story.
Read full review
May 12, 2025
Season 1 Review:
Some viewers who are unfamiliar with the source material will likely find the contradiction between the show’s title and its content jarring. But, much like its central character, Murderbot doesn’t care, gleefully embracing all the weirdness and contradictions inherent within itself and reveling in them.
Read full review
The TelegraphMay 16, 2025
ColliderMay 12, 2025
Season 1 Review:
When held up against book-to-screen adaptations, Murderbot will arguably go down as one of the strongest so far this year, as well as one of Apple TV+'s best sci-fi shows yet, thanks to a delightfully layered lead performance from Skarsgård, a terrific ensemble fortified by Dumezweni and Dastmalchian, and a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and high-stakes drama.
Read full review
May 16, 2025
Season 1 Review:
On screen we see Murderbot from the outside. There’s no avoiding it, and for better and for worse, that move into a world seen from beyond Murderbot’s perspective flattens everything into a story that’s simpler, sillier, and lighter. The show’s biggest boon is Skarsgård, who plays Murderbot with an unblinking straightness that still manages to read as a whole palette of emotional experience.
Read full review
May 12, 2025
Season 1 Review:
After 10 episodes of the new Apple TV+ series, Skarsgard’s interpretation of the character became one I appreciated tremendously. Creators Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz’s grasp on the property’s tone and world-building is less effective for me and, unlike with Skarsgard’s performance, I never came around to fully embracing its validity. Still, I like Skarsgard more than I dislike the bland overall approach.
Read full review
May 12, 2025
Season 1 Review:
The season is nearly half over before Murderbot’s dynamic with its team, and the ongoing mystery about the slaughtered researchers, really start to develop. When Murderbot finally starts voicing its annoyance to Mensah and the team, the series gets a lot more entertaining.
Read full review
The GuardianMay 16, 2025
Season 1 Review:
Though the pacing improves and the characters’ interactions become more meaningful as the series goes on, when “stupid fucking humans” remains the bulk of the commentary and “I don’t have a stomach so I can’t throw up but if I did, I would” are a representative sample of humour, it feels like a wasted opportunity.
Read full review
The IndependentMay 14, 2025
Season 1 Review:
For the story of a (possibly) murderous robot learning the value of love, it has surprisingly little soul. But it is, still, a romp. Skarsgård’s ability to pair his chiselled, leading man good looks with a very goofy sense of humour (recently utilised to good effect in Succession) makes Murderbot an enjoyable, lightweight watch.
Read full review
The PlaylistMay 13, 2025
Season 1 Review:
While “Murderbot” is interesting to think about as a weird, somewhat wild swing for Apple TV+, it doesn’t exactly thread the needle of all these competing interests and genres. Instead, it feels purposely unclassifiable. That’s fine, in and of itself, but the show is never as funny or mysterious or heady as perhaps the filmmakers intended.
Read full review
RogerEbert.comMay 16, 2025
Season 1 Review:
Skarsgård, for his part, is excellent here, offering up a performance that nails the character’s tightrope-walk between playing along as an unfeeling droid and warming up to its meek, weak charges. I do wish that was enough, though, and despite the elegant production design and admirable effects, “Murderbot” feels like a sci-fi comedy still searching for identity.
Read full review
May 15, 2025
Season 1 Review:
Unfortunately, “Murderbot” falls short in its attempt at balancing a light sci-fi saga and a deeper understanding of its protagonist’s psyche. Too much of the show’s story is told through Murderbot’s inner monologue, which is amusing at times but too often feels intrusive.
Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score