Shining Girls thriller could be another hit for Apple TV+

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'Shining Girls' thriller could be another hit for Apple TV+
Kate Moss stars in Shining Girls, an Apple TV+ series attracting lots of viewers.
Photo: Apple TV+

The metaphysical-horror-thriller Shining Girls only premiered on Apple TV+ a few days ago, but the Elisabeth Moss series is already in the top 10 most streamed shows. And it’s drawing positive reviews, too.

Plus, the Apple TV+ hit Severance remains on the weekly list of popular shows, despite wrapping up its first season more than three weeks ago.

Shining Girls is off to a strong start for Apple TV+

We’re at peak TV, with more shows and movies available to be streamed than anyone could hope to see. And not everything is good. Perhaps the easiest way to find the best is to try what everyone else is watching.

JustWatch tracks the streaming business. Its chart of Top 10 streaming TV series for the week of April 25 through May 1 shows Shining Girls in the No. 10 spot. This is despite the Apple TV+ show not debuting until April 29, halfway through the week.

The thriller appears to be justifying the traffic. It garners an 83% approval rating on the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, and a 90% audience approval score.

It’s metaphysical horror

Based on Lauren Beukes’s novel The Shining Girls, the eight-episode series star Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Kirby Mazrachi, a Chicago newspaper archivist who survives a brutal assault that turns out to be the first of many against different women.

But this is no typical serial killer drama. The series seriously messes with viewers. Perhaps Mazrachi is slipping into insanity. Or maybe reality itself is unraveling.

Shining Girls’ first three episodes premiered April 29 on Apple TV+. Subsequent episodes follow weekly on Fridays.

Severance still attracts viewers

The last episode of Severance’s first season debuted April 8, and the show is still drawing viewers. JustWatch puts it in the No. 7 spot of most-watched streaming shows for last week.

The creepy series, which ended its first season on a high note, ranked highly almost every week since it debuted, showing enduring popularity.

It centers on a small group of workers at the harrowingly evil firm Lumon Industries. The employees agreed to a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. What could go wrong when they find out what type of company they work for?

The entire first season of Severance is available to watch now on Apple TV+. Streaming it, Shining Girls and everything else in the growing Apple TV+ library comes with a $4.99 per month subscription.

Estimates from companies like JustWatch of the popularity of shows and films are necessary because streaming services don’t reveal how many people watch their offerings.

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