Matt Smith’s chaotic new psychological drama is a must-watch that you won’t be able to shake

There’s something wonderful about a television show that can make you squirm uncomfortably in your seat. Sure, you might feel a little uneasy, but there’s a joy in knowing that a story is so impactful that it compels you to feel deeply – and this is exactly what Matt Smith’s The Death of Bunny Munro is capable of.

Smith stars as the deplorable and equally pitiable door-to-door beauty salesman Bunny Munro, who completely comes apart at the seams after his wife, Libby (Bad Sisters‘ Sarah Greene), dies from suicide. To make things even more tragic, Bunny is now the reluctant sole carer of their nine-year-old son Bunny Junior (Rafael Mathé), who is also reeling from the shocking loss of his mother.

The ill-equipped Bunny takes to parenting like a caged rabbit, trapped by the confines of responsibility. And the results are… well, you’ll see. But as the synopsis teases, what unfolds is an “epic and increasingly out-of-control road trip across Southern England”, and this should give some indication of how well things shape up for the father/son duo. It’s fair to say that they are barely hanging on by a thread.

The narrative meanders with Bunny’s impulsive whims, feeling both dazzling and fast-paced, yet simultaneously grinding. The drama takes abrupt and sometimes shocking turns, which really encapsulates the instability of Bunny’s world.

Sky

We also get to know different parts of Bunny through the people in his life, and together they create the sum of him. (Shoutout to Johann Myers, whose Poodle is one of those people. A vibrant, chaotic delight.)

But the core of his humanity is something Bunny inadvertently finds himself searching for throughout the series. Smith’s portrayal of a tragically virile Bunny is haunting; as he attempts to glide from one sales pitch to the next, the character offers up more than just skincare products that can make you appear 10 years younger.

Sky

With a charisma that creeps into smarmy territory (making the act of miming bunny ears utterly revolting), the self-professed “lothario” collects conquests like they are the sale, whilst he buries his grief deeply beneath his ego. The complexity of this character really makes room for Smith to unearth something incredible from his acting toolkit.

Bunny is a bleak and broken soul wrapped up in a frenzied kind of pizzazz. His carnal appetite, especially under these circumstances, should make him hard to relate to, and even harder to sympathise with given his dismal relationship with his son, and yet we do feel deeply sorry for him, which is a testament to both Smith’s acting chops and the words on the page.

Junior’s presence serves as a mirror to Bunny, but perhaps one too harsh for him to look at. However, Mathé’s performance leaves you wishing that he was created as more than just a reflection of the unresolved parts of his parents or their hopes, and more than just the tender, fragile sum of their love.

Sarah Weal//Sky

The Death of Bunny Munro gives us just enough of Junior to make us sympathise with him, and to leave us curious. But it is Mathé who truly makes us fall in love with him.

Mathé exposes Junior’s yearning to be tethered to something stable. His desperation to have a meaningful bond is delicately expressed – if only there was room to see more of him as a fully-realised individual.

The six-part Sky series also folds part of Libby’s story into The Bunny Show, and Greene is wonderful in the role, carrying both light and darkness gingerly.

Benedict Stenning//Sky

Like Junior, Greene is so excellent at bringing Libby to life that you crave more than Bunny’s memories of her, or the manifestation of her that Junior conjures up. In fact, the series is begging for a prequel titled The Life of Libby Munro.

But at the end of the day, this is Bunny Munro’s story. And, despite limiting some of its characters, it is a good one. It’s a racing tale of pain and misery, and it rightfully claims your investment from start to finish. It’s a worthy watch, and a story that will linger with you long after the credits have rolled.

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The Death of Bunny Munro debuts on Thursday 20 November at 9pm on Sky Atlantic, with all episodes available to stream on Sky and NOW.

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