‘Only Murders In The Building’ Is So Hygge For A Murder Mystery, I Love It

Only Murders In The Building puts me to sleep. And that’s actually a good thing. No, I don’t mean it’s dull or drab or doesn’t hold my attention. Quite the contrary, actually. Its soporific power works in another way, by inducing such calm and peace as you watch it, that my body just can’t help but feel relaxed and comfortable. The result is a deep, satisfying slumber that I normally won’t get after watching something else. For example, Stranger Things had me hyped up all night like a toddler on a sugar rush. But Only Murders, despite being a murder mystery, is just so hygge that it instantly relaxes me, makes me want to curl up in my bed, and sleep a cosy wink. In fact, it turns me into that girl. The one who watches true-crime dramas to cool off and has an elaborate night-time routine as she preps for bed, akin to that of a cold-blooded serial killer.

The series is set in New York, which is one of my favourite cities in the world because it feels so much like home (Mumbai) in its pace. But the New York of Only Murders In The Building is an AU New York, where time doesn’t run; it dawdles, languishes, and enjoys luxurious retirement. There’s nary a crowded street full bustle shown in the shots when the characters are outside. And inside, the apartments feel rich, comfortable, and incredibly cosy. Mabel’s character is an artist and even though her home is sparingly furnished, it has a warmth and snugness about it.

Walking into an episode of Only Murders feels like walking into an art gallery or museum on a hot weekday afternoon when the crowd is a trickle and you can enjoy your favourite painting at leisure. The Arconia, the Renaissance-style apartment building where the protagonists live, is a huge part of this vibe. Look at the way it is shaped, a tall façade that closes off the building on all four sides, and in its middle, it protects a big, beautiful garden. Much like how the tenants of the building, who’re hiding their own secrets behind their carefully constructed façades.

While the apartments are built on a sound stage, as per this NYT article, it is actually a legendary Upper West Side building called the Belford with its own colourful history. In fact, I quite chuckled when I read that some of its famous residents were members of the arts and theatre (like Lee Strasberg), and in its history, there did come a time when the tenants resisted the modernisation of the building, much like the plot unfolding in Only Murders In The Building Season 2. 

It’s always winter in Only Murders In The Building. Or if it was ever any other weather, then I can’t remember. Watching the characters bundled up in jackets, hats, and gloves just amps up the hygge vibe. The warm colour palette, the way the camera rarely gives you a sense of open spaces… it’s all so close for comfort. So snug. 

What else adds to this leisurely vibe of Only Murders In The Building? Ah yes, the fact that none of its lead characters actually have jobs that require them to hustle much. And yet, not everyone’s affluent here. One’s an artist, one is a semi-retired television actor way past his prime, and another is a financially struggling Broadway director. They start a true-crime podcast and are almost always free to chase leads or investigate. But then again, maybe it is an Arconia thing. Its residents, such as Board President Bunny Folger (RIP) or even Howard Morris, all seem to have spaced-out schedules, with not much to do but pursue their respective interests in an unhurried fashion. It makes me long for a time when I could take a walk around my block, buy flowers, read a book, or make a nice breakfast for myself that I enjoy alone, with nary a peep at my phone.

I’d give major credit for the overall hygge vibe to the score too, which is by none other than Siddhartha Khosla. The man is a pro, for he has given us the music for This Is Us too, which is another warm hug that you never want to release yourselves from. The Only Murders main title theme, which turns us into peeping toms as we peek into the lives of the Arconia residents through their windows, is a beautiful opening sequence that I rarely skip because it looks gorgeous and it sounds so good. Oliver Putnam once said, “You are scoring a murder mystery, not DJing a hobbit’s wedding.” And Mr. Khosla understood the assignment.

And finally, it’s the podcast. It’s true crime but with the soothing voices of Martin Short celebrating a good line, Steve Martin being Steve Martin and coming with his slow smiles, and Selena Gomez’s Mabel who seems way too much of an old soul for her age. The bond between these characters oozes warmth, and I love how the series takes its time to delve into the histories of these characters, and in this season, the building too. It helps the viewer empathise with each character and their choices, including the killer’s.

Also Read: 9 Bingeworthy True-Crime Documentaries To Feed Your Curiosity About Dark, Twisted Criminal Minds

How Only Murders In The Building Makes Me That Girl

There’s a study by University of Illinois professors that found examined Spotify’s metrics and found women’s interest in true crime spiked by 16% in just 2019 alone. It’s a running joke on social media that women will actually watch murder mysteries and true crime documentaries “to relax”. 

For me, watching Only Murders In The Building is always a self-care event that does help me relax. It’s not something I’ll watch when I am browsing on my phone or answering emails. I’d never waste its power by watching it during the lunch break at work or during a commute. The schedule is always this: I’d lay out my night-time skincare or some sheet masks, light a scented candle, pour a glass of wine, and watch an episode or two.

There was never a rush to finish the season. I wanted to relish each episode, and if my relaxed body and mind felt even a wink of sleep coming, I’d snooze. And I wouldn’t lose a second thinking, “Oh let me finish another episode.” That’s how I have been watching Season 2 as well… spaced out, one episode at a time, savouring each for what it has to offer. Episode 3, ‘The Last Day Of Bunny Folger’, was so beautifully done, that I even took time off to fully process all the feels it gave me.

I know you might think not wanting to finish an episode or a season at one go, in this time of binge-watching, feels like blasphemy and perhaps not a gold star on a series’ report card. But I disagree. I love that Only Murders In The Building is like a slow, old-school elevator ride that gives me time to admire my reflection in the mirror, reapply my makeup, click a few selfies, and then step out feeling assuredly fabulous, instead of just whooshing me to my destined floor, in a crowded car full of equally rushed people, with no time to find my bearings. It’s how I feel with most binges these days. I love anything that makes me slow down.

You know, like a book. Or for that matter, a podcast.

The Danish word ‘hygge’ refers to “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being”. When I watch Only Murders In The Building, which is essentially a murder mystery, what baffles me more than the identity of the killer is the inexplicable phenomenon that such a series could actually be this comforting and feel like a warm hug on a cold winter night.

Only Murders In The Building Season 2 is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, with new episodes every Tuesday.

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