Tom Holland in character as Danny Sullivan sat on thatched chair

The Crowded Room viewers saying same thing about Tom Holland's new drama

The series is inspired by a true story

TV and film writer
June 11, 2023

Apple TV+'s new psychological thriller, The Crowded Room, premiered on Friday and viewers are saying the same thing about it. 

The ten-part series, which is inspired by a true story, stars Tom Holland as a young man named Danny Sullivan who is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979. 

WATCH: The trailer for Apple TV's new thriller, The Crowded Room

Viewers were gripped by the drama and took to Twitter to praise the first three episodes, which have been released on the streaming platform. 

MORE: The Crowded Room: the true story behind role that 'broke' Tom Holland

READ: Tom Holland reveals emotional impact of creepy new series on him: 'It did break me'

One person wrote: "The first three episodes of #TheCrowdedRoom have me hooked! I can't wait to watch the rest, I need to know everything! Tom Holland and Sasha Lane are just wow," while another added: "I thought the first three episodes were gripping TV. The cast was amazing. The story is compelling. It's shot beautifully. I think Tom Holland always gives each character he plays a very distinct personality and he definitely doesn't disappoint in The Crowded Room."

Tom Holland plays Danny in the new show

A third person tweeted: "#TheCrowdedRoom is so good! I watched the three episodes and I love it so far, Tom is absolutely amazing in this and I can't wait to see him shine in the rest of the episodes."

Many viewers highlighted the cast's performances in the drama, particularly from Tom and his co-star Sasha Lane, who plays Danny's friend, Ariana. 

© Apple TV+

Tom Holland and Sasha Lane star in The Crowded Room

One fan wrote: "A good start for #TheCrowdedRoom. Tom Holland's performance is incredible. Also Sasha Lane, wow. Kudos to others too." while another added: "Tom Holland’s performance in #TheCrowdedRoom left me speechless wow. He and Sasha Lane absolutely shined in those first three episodes. I'm truly in awe."

Some viewers expressed their confusion after the show received mixed reviews from critics and achieved a low score of 25% on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. 

The series received mixed reviews from critics

One person tweeted: "Why are the reviews for The Crowded Room so bad? It's really good," while another added: "The Crowded Room is really good so far, very thrilling with good performances especially Tom, critics suck!"

What is The Crowded Room about?

The series is inspired by the 1981 non-fiction novel, The Minds of Billy Milligan, which was written about American criminal Billy Milligan, the first person in US history to be acquitted of a major crime due to dissociative identity disorder. 

The first three episodes aired on Friday

Milligan was convicted of armed robbery and three rapes at Ohio State University in the late 1970s. His lawyers pleaded insanity during his trial and argued his alternate personalities were responsible for the crimes.

© Netflix

Billy Milligan's story inspired The Crowded Room

The synopsis describes: "A captivating thriller told through a series of interviews with curious interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried), Danny’s life story unfolds, revealing elements of the mysterious past that shaped him, and the twists and turns that will lead him to a life-altering revelation."

Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more