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Murder Castle

Murder Castle

2017Miniseries1 season3 episodesTV-14Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

H.H. Holmes builds a three-story hotel in Chicago where he tortures and kills an untold number of people visiting the city for the 1893 World's Fair.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Murder Castle?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Murder Castle to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Murder Castle?

Murder Castle earns 1 badge: Haunting.

Reception

Is Murder Castle worth watching?

Murder Castle's Midcredits score is the 23rd percentile of all shows, from 130 ratings across 2 sources. 53% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

23rd percentile

Better received than 23% of shows

18th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)27th
Approval (how many liked it)21st

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

65 /100

27th percentile of all shows

24th percentile among Drama27th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

53% liked it

21st percentile of all shows

15th percentile among Drama20th percentile among 2010s
53% rated it 7–1047% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

16th percentile

129 ratings across platforms

6th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 23% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2017 · 3 episodes

  • S1E1

    A Place to Stay

    Oct 28, 201744 min
  • S1E2

    Down the Cellar

    Oct 28, 201744 min
  • S1E3

    Fight or Flight

    Oct 28, 201744 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Murder Castle like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you haunted.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
DreadTense
Heaviest: middle
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 3% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series treats the lurid historical material with dramatic seriousness, playing the horror straight.
The rideThe middle section likely contains the most intense horror as the trap is sprung and victims are lured, with dread building throughout.
StructureThe miniseries unfolds chronologically, following Holmes's construction and killings over the course of the 1893 World's Fair.
Episode formatA 3-episode limited series about one case would be a continuous serial narrative following the investigation and Holmes's crimes.
Season formatThis is a one-season miniseries telling a complete story of Holmes's spree and downfall.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Haunting · 9% of showsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe grim depiction of Holmes's labyrinth and the helpless victims leaves a lingering unease.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series centers on H.H. Holmes as a predatory serial killer who lures victims into his Murder Castle, a lethal labyrinth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfCorruption
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2% (this title)
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% (this title) · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Power

Corruption · 3% of showsObsession · 2% of shows: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Oppression · 2% of shows
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how Holmes's utter corruption of power—building a literal death trap—and his obsessive, oppressive control over victims shape the narrative.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of unchecked predatory evil hiding in plain sight, framed through both the killer and the investigating detective.

The world

19th centuryUrbanInstitutional
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingChicago during the 1893 World's Fair, centered on Holmes's Murder Castle hotel

Content guide

Is Murder Castle okay for kids?

TV-14

Murder Castle is rated TV-14.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • Ireland16
  • Brazil14
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandS
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • RO15
  • SwedenFrån 15 år

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Murder Castle have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Murder Castle?

Cast

Shawn Parr
as H.H. Holmes
Hugh Scully
as Detective Geyer
Mackenzie Lansing
as Beth Bickford
Jane Bruce
as Julia Connor
Rhianna Radick
as Alice Mayhew
Aurora Heimbach
as Rosemary
Hollin Haley
as Emeline Cigrand
Kate Flanagan
as Jane Rogers
Robert Cunniff
as Lynch Mob member
Meg Aldridge
as Miss Landry

Crew

More like this

What are shows like Murder Castle?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Murder Castle include Homicide Hunter (2011), I Am a Killer (2018) and Trust Me: The False Prophet (2026).

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What other shows share a tag with Murder Castle?

11 other shows share the rarest tag below, up against: detective. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.