The Undoing: A Slow-Burn Psychological Mystery Miniseries On HBO Max

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Grace (Nicole Kidman) looking upset in The Undoing.

Published Mar 4, 2026, 9:30 AM EST

Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who loves films, television, books, and any and all media he can get his hands on. Zach has had articles published on satirical sites such as Points In Case, Slackjaw, and McSweeney's.

The Undoing is a fantastic little slow-burn miniseries that mystery lovers will get through in a weekend. There are so many fantastic miniseries on HBO Max that it can get a little overwhelming at times. You'll be flipping through the list and suddenly see an A-List celebrity in a show you've never even heard of.

The Undoing Is A Six-Episode Psychological Mystery Miniseries on HBO Max

Jonathan (Hugh Grant) and Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman) being hounded by the press in The Undoing

The Undoing is a psychological mystery miniseries starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant as Grace and Jonathan Fraser, a successful psychologist and oncologist power couple living in Manhattan. In the nights leading up to a school auction, the Frasers have several strange run-ins with another child's mother, Elena (Matilda De Angelis).

Elena makes several strange advances and comments to Grace, but the day after the auction, the police find Elena's gruesomely murdered body in her art studio. As the last person to see her, Grace is questioned by the police, and she suddenly realizes she hasn't heard from Jonathan since he left the night before on a business trip.

The Undoing Is A Fantastic Slow-Burn Psychological Story

Matilda De Angelis as Elena Alves looking over her shoulder in The Undoing.

The Undoing is one of the great slow-burn psychological miniseries, and it keeps you guessing until the end of the show. The large ensemble cast, which includes Noah Jupe, Lily Rabe, Édgar Ramírez, and Donald Sutherland, is fantastic, with Grant as the true standout, toeing the line between charming and sinister.

It's a series that takes its time, laying out the events of Grace's life, and slowly backing the normally put-together doctor into a corner until she has no idea what to believe. The Undoing will have you rooting for Grace, then against Grace, then for Jonathan, then against Jonathan, and so on, all the while painting a depressing picture of a creaky marriage.

The Undoing's Mystery Plot Won't Leave You Disappointed

Noah Jupe as Henry Fraser holding a hammer in The Undoing.

With only six episodes, the slow burn of The Undoing is not a slog, and while we take our time to unravel the details of the murder and the true personalities of those involved, we are enveloped in a richly detailed world. It's a cold world of the uber-wealthy that offers little warmth to those who need help.

The mystery at the center of The Undoing, the identity of the person or persons who murdered Elena, lingers atop every episode. Sometimes it's in the background, and sometimes it's staring Grace and Jonathan in the face. It jumps back and forth, but nothing feels convoluted, resulting in an ending worthy of the strength of the rest of the show.