Love & Death (2023) brings Elizabeth Olsen into a role that feels like a quiet storm moving through suburbia. As Candy Montgomery, she drifts across the screen with a calmness that hides fractures beneath the surface. The series blends domestic stillness with the creeping tension of a true crime tale, creating an atmosphere that feels like a small town holding its breath.

Olsen’s performance becomes the emotional backbone of the story. She shapes Candy not as a villain or a victim, but as a woman caught in the tangled weeds of desire, loneliness, and consequence. Each episode lets her peel back another layer, and the transformation feels both unsettling and strangely tender, like watching someone walk through fog toward a cliff’s edge.

The series stands out for its measured pacing. Instead of rushing the sensational elements of the real-life case, it lingers on everyday details—church gatherings, quiet dinners, fleeting glances that spark something forbidden. This approach gives the narrative a slow burn quality, allowing viewers to step into the community, the relationships, and the emotional currents that eventually drag everyone under.

From a visual standpoint, Love & Death wraps the 1980s Texas setting in muted colors and soft light, giving the story a haunting calmness. The stillness becomes part of the tension, forming a contrast with the violence that eventually erupts. The cinematography makes each frame feel like a memory someone is afraid to revisit.