ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING: Episode 1.1: True Crime
Hilarious start, but slow and contains obscene language.
Should You Watch It?
This is a smart, funny beginning to Hulu’s comedy series. Steve Martin and Martin Short have immediate chemistry, and the episode builds its murder mystery through verbal wit rather than splashy physical comedy. The result is a well-made program with a strong hook.
But the episode’s worldview and content are serious obstacles for family viewing. Its three main characters flout rules while pursuing their own goals, and the episode contains strong foul language, a strong Romantic worldview, and morally troubling behavior connected to the investigation. The information also arrives slowly, with a muted tone and occasional loss of momentum.
If you are a discerning adult who can engage those concerns, this episode is worth watching. For children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESCharles-Haden Savage, a washed-up television actor, lives in a New York City apartment building with Oliver, a financially broke Broadway producer, and Mabel, a young woman with a mysterious background. All three love true-crime stories.
When a man in their building is murdered, the three apartment dwellers team up to investigate. Oliver pushes them to turn their efforts into a true-crime podcast called “Only Murders in the Building.”
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a well-made program with real comic strengths, though it is not consistently paced. The episode relies on verbal wit, and the chemistry between Steve Martin and Martin Short is hilarious from the start. Martin plays his character with reserve, while Short brings flamboyance and a touching sense of desperation.
The episode’s opening credits are designed to resemble a New Yorker magazine cover, reflecting the high artistic standards Steve Martin brings to the program. Selena Gomez is fine in her role but is outmatched by her veteran costars. The episode also doles out information slowly and sometimes feels too muted. Still, the murder mystery provides a good hook.
The Worldview
The episode presents a strong Romantic worldview. Its three main characters are rich people who flout rules to discover the murder mystery they are pursuing. Each has a vainglorious goal and secretly works to achieve it. There are some moral elements, but the episode’s central investigators are not models of lawful or selfless conduct.
The episode’s characters pursue attention, creative success, financial security, and personal objectives through deception and rule-breaking. That approach departs from a biblical view of truthfulness and respect for rightful authority, even as the investigation itself is concerned with discovering what happened.
The story’s longing is for answers and recognition, but the episode does not ground those desires in accountability before God. Scripture calls us to reject self-serving patterns and pursue what is true: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong Romantic worldview with some moral elements where the three main characters are all rich people engaged in flouting rules to discover the murder mystery they are out to solve, and each one has his own vainglorious goal and is secretly working to achieve it
Foul Language
Eight “f” words, one a-hole, two GDs
Violence
A dead teenage girl is seen in a flashback, with her friends frantically trying to figure out how to make excuses for it
Sex
No sex scenes, but a box of “sex toys” is found and very quickly shown
Nudity
No nudity Alcohol: Some casual drinking
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Strong miscellaneous immorality includes the lead characters sneak into their building against police orders, tamper with a dead body, and break into an office and steal a box of information about the dead person, plus one woman hides the fact she knew the murder victim from the men who are supposed to be her investigative partners.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The characters pursue personal goals while investigating a murder. How can ambition become self-serving, and how should Christians examine their motives?
Philippians 2:3–4 · James 3:16The investigators break rules and interfere with an official investigation. What does Scripture teach about respecting authority while still seeking truth?
Romans 13:1–7 · Ephesians 4:25The episode shows people trying to manage the consequences of a death through excuses and secrecy. Why is honest confession difficult, and what does God promise to those who walk in the light?
Proverbs 28:13 · 1 John 1:7–9The characters want attention and recognition for their work. What kind of ambition honors God rather than self?
Matthew 6:1–4 · Colossians 3:23–24The Final Word
This is a witty, well-made mystery with excellent chemistry between Steve Martin and Martin Short. Its strong Romantic worldview, foul language, and morally troubling content make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, it is WORTH WATCHING — ADULTS ONLY. For family-friendly alternatives, see.
