The Crowded Room review: Tom Holland unleashes inner Edward Norton in Apple’s addictive mystery mini-series

Danny misses, and is immediately arrested. Ariana gets away. The investigating officer (Thomas Sadoski) quickly discovers enough evidence to suggest that he might have nabbed a serial killer. He seeks the help of his colleague and girlfriend Rya, played by Amanda Seyfried, who through a series of conversations with Danny tries to understand what led him to that moment outside the Rockefeller Centre, with a loaded revolver in his hand and vengeance in his heart.

In a rather unusual move, Apple has requested that several plot points not be revealed in reviews. Of course, no reviewer would want to spoil the audience’s viewing experience, but Apple’s list of unmentionable topics this time is borderline pedantic; critics have also been forbidden to reveal Rya’s profession, and to completely avoid any mention of the show’s premise, which, by the way, is sort of spoiled in the opening credits. Or, it will be if you pay close attention to the source material, and then Google it out of curiosity. But — and I cannot stress this enough — you must resist the temptation to do so.

In fact, The Crowded Room is best enjoyed completely cold — don’t read up about it, don’t watch interviews with Holland and the cast, avoid the trailer even. By its very nature as a mystery, the show has been structured in a manner where there’s a major plot twist every few episodes. And it makes sense for Apple to be so careful about protecting the viewer’s experience; it’s also completely understandable to assume that most people wouldn’t be familiar with the source material.

But this leaves us in an odd position. While we can discuss the mechanics of the story and the tone, we cannot talk about the specifics. That opening sequence, elaborately staged in an extended single shot by director Kornél Mundruczó (Pieces of a Woman), suggests that you’re in for a thriller, but The Crowded Room evolves into a rather sad drama in the middle, before fully embracing the soppy sentimentality at its core towards the end. It’s the conversations between Danny and Rya that drive the story, which is perhaps why the first three episodes — there are 10 in total — are a slog to get through. A lot of time is spent setting the table. 

But once the show begins to reveal its true colours, it takes on a new form altogether. The Crowded Room, like its cousin Joker, is essentially a story about empathy, told through the perspective of a character who never received any. And this broke him in unimaginable ways. “I needed help, but there are people in this world, when they see someone in need, all they see is an opportunity,” Danny tells Rya in a moment of vulnerability. Each episode slips into lengthy flashbacks of Danny’s youth, as he narrates the story of his troubled life to the endlessly patient Rya.

It all comes to a head in episode six, centred around her character. It would be unfair (and irresponsible) to reveal anything about this episode, other than, perhaps, its potential as a future trivia favourite for its prominent use of The Beatles’ “Let it Be”. The classic song has thematic relevance to the show, which is perhaps why it is used as a motif from time to time. This should give you an idea of the weepy earnestness that The Crowded Room is going for, and on a less serious note, how deep Apple’s pockets are.

With a plot so twisty and engaging, it’s easy to overlook other aspects of the filmmaking. But The Crowded Room wouldn’t be half as compelling without its four fearless central performances. Holland has attempted to separate himself from the Peter Parker persona in the past, with the underrated The Devil All the Time and Cherry — both movies are an acquired taste — but The Crowded Room gives him the opportunity to truly unleash his inner Edward Norton. Seyfried, hot off her Oscar nomination and an Emmy win, exudes so much warmth as Rya, perhaps the first person in Danny’s life to give him a chance. And then there’s Emmy Rossum, who breathes life into the show’s most complex character — Danny’s guilt-ridden mother, Candy. But the  standout performer is the chameleonic Christopher Abbott, who pops up midway through the series as Danny’s lawyer, Stan. Abbott has been around for several years, but there has always been a sense that he is just one breakout role away from earning Christian Bale-levels of respect. This isn’t that role — The Crowded Room is, after all, a Holland vehicle — but it’s only a matter of time before he barges into the A-list.

The Crowded Room won’t be for everybody, that much is clear. It’s unwieldy and disarmingly earnest — this is exactly what put people off Cherry as well, by the way — but it’s also thrillingly wound, nimbly performed, and deeply compassionate. For its audience, it’ll be a rewarding experience.

The Crowded Room
Creator – Akiva Goldsman
Cast – Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried, Sasha Lane, Lior Raz, Jason Isaacs, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Sadoski, Christopher Abbott
Rating – 4/5