Edgar Ramirez makes for a commanding Versace, exuding confidence in a largely quiet depiction, and yet his understated turn doesn't undermine later scenes where Gianni is scared.
This season begins with the splashiest, most tabloid-friendly part of its narrative and pulls the audience backward into a deeper, sadder story, the majority of whose casualties are much less famous but no less deserving of our grief.
This new series is still well worth watching. Murphy's at his best when he takes tabloid material and, without draining away its juiciness, reframes it to grapple with serious issues.
Featuring less star power than OJ but a few stellar performances of its own, Gianni Versace will be a tougher sell to casual viewers, but those who go along for this journey into the world of a sociopath will be dramatically rewarded.
The decision to lean into the drama of docudrama means imposing an overdetermined shape onto the very real lives Cunanan shattered in a way that feels cynical and glib.
[Darren] Criss' performance is so good that it upends The Assassination of Gianni Versace: Where Cuba Gooding Jr.'s lackluster performance pushed O.J. to the margins of his own story, Criss, aided by scripts, pushes everyone else aside.
The circumstances around Gianni Versace's murder may have been categorized by silence, but American Crime Story's take on Cunanan's killing sprees is one of the loudest and boldest sagas on television.
