‘Death and Other Details’ Review

‘Death and Other Details’ is a thought-provoking novel written by author Adam Haslett. Set in the backdrop of New York City, the book explores themes of mortality, love, and the complexities of human relationships.

The story revolves around Matthew Miller, a young man who has recently lost his father to suicide. As he grapples with grief and questions about his own mortality, Matthew embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Through his encounters with various characters, including a terminally ill woman named Sarah and an eccentric artist named Paul, Matthew begins to confront his fears and gain a deeper understanding of life.

Granted, Hulu has enjoyed plenty of success in the genre, including multiple seasons of “Only Murders in the Building,” a frothier (and considerably more fun) construct that also mines the everyone’s-a-suspect formula, usually within a confined space.

The main wrinkle here, frankly, is having Mandy Patinkin (sporting a rather vague accent) portray Rufus Cotesworth, billed as the world’s greatest detective, who gets reunited with a young woman, Imogene Scott (“The Flash’s” Violett Beane), in trying to solve a murder committed within a compartment aboard a privately commissioned Mediterranean cruise.

The rare saving grace is that the show is kind of fun when viewed as camp (depending how you define it), but “Death and Other Details” is not committed enough to its own buffoonery to excel in that genre either. There’s Patinkin’s accent, untethered — nay, uninhibited — by geography or ethnicity, later joined by Linda Emond from “Only Murders in the Building” as a comically dry Dutch Interpol agent, but they seem out of place for having any fun with the deficient source material.

Though “Death and Other Details” fails to maintain a balanced sharpness throughout, Patinkin and Beane work well as an unhinged duo determined to dig up the truth. While sometimes labored, the series asks viewers to consider things we overlook because of preconceived notions. It’s also a reminder that being stuck out on the ocean with a ship full of the upper echelon of society is probably the last place any sensible person would want to be.

The first two episodes of “Death and Other Details” premiere Jan. 16 on Hulu, with new episodes dropping weekly on Tuesdays.

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Sarah H

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