It is often said that the opening scene of any film or television production should tell you everything you need to know about the world you’re stepping into, and the characters you’re about to spend the rest of the runtime with. In the case of The Death of Bunny Munro, the show opens with the titular character lying to his wife about when he’ll be home, before laying back down and having another woman pleasure him in a dingy hotel room. While he lies there, staring up at the ceiling, a leak from the roof drips in his eye. It sums up the show perfectly; it’s morbid, it’s funny, and one of the 2025’s best.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by legendary musician Nick Cave, the show follows Bunny Munro (Matt Smith), a travelling cosmetics salesman turned sex addict, who, after his wife’s suicide, takes his son on a road trip around Brighton to “show him the ropes.” With the Police looking for Bunny, social services looking for his son, and a serial killer dressed as the devil making his way to Brighton, Bunny’s life slowly starts to unravel.
Rafael Mathé is excellent as Bunny’s son, Bunny Junior. Once his mother is gone, he wants nothing more than to be accepted by his father, and he tries to gain his affection the only way he knows how – through planet facts, laughing at his jokes etc. When this doesn’t work, we see Junior slowly begin to mold himself into his father’s image, much like Bunny did with his own father, Bunny Sr. (lest the egotistic circle of manhood be broken).
The heart of the show comes in the form of Bunny’s wife and Junior’s mum, Libby, played by Sarah Greene, who, in spite of her short screentime, is absolutely phenomenal. Appearing in visions to guide Junior and in flashbacks that show Bunny’s grief and regret over his treatment of her, Libby’s scenes are a stark reminder of the two paths Junior could go down.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what the show is saying about toxic masculinity, its self destructive nature, or how it is passed down through generations. However, the way in which it is explored here is so nuanced and fascinating in its depiction that it pulls us in and never lets go. As we see how Bunny treats everyone in his life – cheating on his wife, sleeping with his best friend’s girlfriend, taking his son to a strip club and having him wait in the car while he visits a prostitute – we truly begin to fear for not only Junior’s future, but Bunny’s as well.
Matt Smith is simply incredible as the titular Bunny Munro. Taking a detestable character and earning the audience’s empathy is a feat that very few can manage, but Smith does so with ease. Through the smallest of glances Smith shows us Bunny’s regret and pain and desperation, all of which are performed with the utmost attention and care to stand out against the character’s enormous ego. The fantastic script from Pete Jackson, and the tender direction from Isabella Eklöf certainly aid Smith in what he is doing, but the actor is a beast unto himself and Bunny Munro will undoubtedly be remembered as one of his greatest performances.
Filled with hilarious dark humour, terrific performances all around and serving as one of TV’s best inspections of toxic masculinity, The Death of Bunny Munro deserves to go down as one of this year’s best TV shows. If you’re looking for something short, smart, and wickedly funny, this is the show for you.
All episodes of The Death of Bunny Munro are now available on Sky Go and Now TV.
