‘All Her Fault’ is Every Mother’s Nightmare
How far is too far when it comes to saving your child?
Imagine getting off work to pick up your child from his first play date. You get to the address and ask the resident to go get them from inside so you can head home to a nice dinner…all for them to tell you that they are not who you think you are looking for and they have no idea who or where your child is. All Her Fault explores that terror across 8 episodes—a thriller about a mother desperate to find her son only to discover a web of lies and deceit amongst those she trusts the most. Based on the bestselling 2021 novel of the same name by author Andrea Mara, this series brings the terror from the page to the screen in this gripping “whodunnit.”
All Her Fault stars Sarah Snook (Marissa Irvine), Jake Lacy (Peter Irvine), Dakota Fanning (Jenny), Sophia Lillis (Carrie), Michael Peña (Det. McConville), Abby Elliott (Lia), and Jay Ellis (Colin). The series starts off innocent and unassuming as Marissa goes to pick up her son Milo (Duke McCloud) from a play date with Jenny’s son only to find, to her horror, that Milo never made that play date and is nowhere to be found. In a race against time, Det. McConville must interview everyone who has access to the Irvine’s in order to find Milo alive. However, during the course of the investigation, McConville realizes that this friend group is not as put together as they want it to appear.
“I’m Tired of Being Amazing”
All Her Fault takes a microscope to the immediate reactions from the public, the police department, and the family following an abduction. Under heavy scrutiny, Marissa must fight feeling like a bad mother—blaming herself, blame from the mom group, and blame within her own marriage. These emotions leave space for the show to explore all the cracks and crevices within relationships that the privileged try to hide from the public at all costs. These fractures not only exist across the marital relationships but friendships as well—blame is the weapon that causes a divide as everyone tries desperately to find the motive behind Milo’s kidnapping.
Perhaps the second scariest part about All Her Fault is the theme of abdication of parental responsibilities from the husbands—a feigned incompetence in order to weaponize the faults of parenting against the mothers by placing the bulk of the safety of their children and success of their marriages on their wives. This helplessness and refusal to take on any domestic labor is explored immensely, showing how the absence of an emotionally available partner breeds resentment that leads to dangerous choices for both the husbands and the wives.
“Perfection is a Disease of a Nation”
The title’s meaning takes several different forms in this thriller, forcing the audience to view their own internal biases and unconscious social assignments based on antiquated traditions, societal perceptions, and the unfair pressures women face to be perfect mothers. All Her Fault centers these views through its portrayal of women being harshly and overly criticized in the success or failure of their marriages and, especially, the raising of their children.
It also tests the strength of female friendships—the fragile bond between the social elite mothers and their ability to destroy reputations based on their own misconceived definition of being a “good mom.” However, All Her Fault explores how tragedy brings people together as Jenny befriends Marissa, offering a safe space free from judgment as she deals with every mother’s worst nightmare. This dance of discovery between friend or foe is what makes this series that much more compelling and horrifying.
This thriller will take you on a rollercoaster ride throughout the investigation, forcing you to question every relationship and every seemingly mundane interaction between the families and friends. As the series unfold, so do the lies and deceit that hovers over the characters like a dark cloud. From beginning to end, you will be on the edge of your seat leading you down a winding road toward a jaw-dropping finale.
All 8 episodes of All Her Fault are available to stream now on Peacock. Check out the trailer below.