Julia Garner joins Apple TV’s dark thriller ‘Guilty Creatures’

The new series is based on Mikita Brottman’s book about an affair, a murder, and an 18-year secret. Apple TV has another seriously promising thriller on the way, and Julia Garner is the main reason this one jumped out at me. She’ll star in and executive produce “Guilty Creatures,” a true-crime series about an affair, a murder, and two deeply religious people who somehow live with what they’ve done for 18 years. Lewis Pullman is joining her, while Craig Gillespie will direct. Here’s everything you need to know about “Guilty Creatures.” Everything you need to know about ‘Guilty Creatures’ When does ‘Guilty Creatures’ come out? Can you watch ‘Guilty Creatures’ for free? What is ‘Guilty Creatures’ about? Is ‘Guilty Creatures’ based on a true story? Who stars in ‘Guilty Creatures’? 7-Day Free Trial $12.99+ / month apple.com When does ‘Guilty Creatures’ come out? There’s no premiere date yet for “Guilty Creatures.” Apple TV has officially ordered the series, but it hasn’t announced when filming will begin or when the show will arrive. The cast and creative team are still coming together, so this one is probably a little ways off. Still, it has a full series order, Julia Garner and Lewis Pullman are already attached, and Craig Gillespie is directing, so it’s definitely moving forward. Can you watch ‘Guilty Creatures’ for free? Very likely yes, you can watch “Guilty Creatures” for free with a seven-day free trial of Apple TV , assuming that offer is still available when the series starts dropping. You could watch the first episode right away or wait until more of the season is available and use the trial to binge a bigger chunk. After the trial, Apple TV costs $13 per month and is completely ad-free. This is one service Tara and I never churn because the quality of each series they drop is seriously high. What is ‘Guilty Creatures’ about? “Guilty Creatures” is based on Mikita Brottman’s true-crime book “Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida.” The story takes place in the Florida Panhandle and centers on two young, married, deeply religious people whose affair eventually leads to murder. The craziest part is that the crime is only the beginning. The two lovers keep what they’ve done secret for 18 years, and the series will dig into how they live with that guilt while trying to hold together their relationships, their faith, and the lives they built afterward. So this sounds less like a traditional whodunit and more like a dark psychological story about what happens when two people make one horrible decision and spend nearly two decades pretending they didn’t. Is ‘Guilty Creatures’ based on a true story? Yep, “Guilty Creatures” is based on a real murder case covered in Brottman’s nonfiction book. The book explores the affair, the religious world surrounding the people involved, the murder itself, and the long stretch of time before the truth finally came out. Apple TV hasn’t said how closely the adaptation will follow every part of the book, and some details could obviously be changed or condensed for television. But the central story, including the affair, the murder, and the 18-year secret, comes from a real case. Who stars in ‘Guilty Creatures’? Julia Garner will lead “Guilty Creatures” and executive produce through her Alma Margo production company. Apple TV hasn’t revealed who she’s playing yet, but she’ll presumably be one of the two people at the center of the affair. Garner is best known for her Emmy-winning run as Ruth Langmore on “ Ozark ,” and she also starred in “ Inventing Anna .” Lewis Pullman will star opposite Garner, although his character hasn’t been announced either. Pullman previously appeared in “ Lessons in Chemistry ” and “ Outer Range .” 7-Day Trial apple.com Apple TV Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $12.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. ... The service is available worldwide through the Apple TV app, which is built into Apple devices and supported on most smart TVs, streaming players like Roku and Fire TV, game consoles, and web browsers. Subscribers can watch on demand, download episodes and movies for offline viewing, and stream in 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, where available. Apple TV also offers family sharing, allowing up to six people to use one subscription at no extra cost. In October 2025, Apple TV agreed to a deal with Formula 1 to carry all F1 races starting with the 2026 season. With a competitive monthly price and bundles available through Apple One — which combines Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, iCloud storage, and more — the service continues to grow as a key part of Apple’s ecosystem. Apple TV delivers one of the strongest collections of exclusive content in the streaming space for viewers seeking prestige originals, cinematic storytelling, and seamless access across devices. 7-Day Trial $12.99+ / month apple.com