Warning: This article contains some discussion of addiction and sexual abuse.
Ever since Gillian Flynn and David Fincher teamed up for the adaptation ofher novelGone Girl, I have yearned for a psychological mystery thriller that kept me guessing as much as it did, and invested in its characters. While her subsequent adaptations proved to be a mixed bag, I’ve never felt like anything has been able to capture my attention in the same way the 2014 film did. As such, I couldn’t be more delighted to find that Prime Video’sThe Better Sisternot only filled that void but even works as something of a spiritual follow-up.
Based on Alafair Burke’s 2019 novel of the same name,The Better Sisterintroduces viewersto Chloe Taylor, the high-profile executive of a fashion magazine, whose life with her husband Adam and stepson, Ethan, comes crumbling down when she finds him murdered. As the police begin their investigation, Chloe is forced to reunite with Ethan’s mom and her estranged sister, Nicky, whose dark past of family trauma and addiction has kept her away from Chloe and Ethan. When the investigation digs up old secrets, the already-rocky foundation of the family is further tested.
The Better Sister’s Mix Of Mystery & Character Drama Is Familiar But Effective
There Are Just Enough Red Herrings To Keep Us Guessing
The setup of a murder bringing together estranged family members is certainly not the most original introduction to the world ofThe Better Sister, but the way the show plays with its timeline and mystery does help to overcome this familiarity rather quickly. Much like Chloe and Ethan, we are so immediately thrown into the dizzying wake of Adam’s death that we’re not given a lot of time to process every new bit of information delivered, which keeps us guessing effectively.
…there is an honesty and authenticity in the writing that lets Nicky overcome any similarity to other characters in the genre.
This unpredictability is also generally helped by the fact that showrunner Olivia Milch makes nice use of the eight-episode season to offer well-rounded characters for us to be engaged with. Chloe’s dedication to presenting the picture of a perfect life feels a bit familiar, particularly because so many recent shows focusing on rich characters do that exact thing. Similarly, while Nicky’s past regarding family abuse is commonplace, there is an honesty and authenticity in the writing that lets her overcome any similarity to other characters in the genre.
Considering the show’s mystery is the most important thing, it was also nice that, being unfamiliar with Burke’s source novel, I found myself largely unable to predict howThe Better Sister’s investigation would play out. Character motivations so often changed that loyalties could almost never be pinned down, but not so much that anyone felt too broad or poorly written. Rather, it left us with enough red herrings to never pinpoint the real killer.
Ultimately, whereThe Better Sister’s plot ultimately left me wanting a bit more was around the show’s middle bunch of episodes, which sometimes felt drawn out. Though not entirely without merit for its overall plot, as some of the aforementioned clues are layered in these episodes, many of these subplots begin overtaking the investigation of Adam’s murder. Even worse is how unresolved some of them are by the show’s end, likely meant to leave room open for a potential season 2, but it kind of undermines the show’s otherwise conclusive ending.
The Mix Of Dark Comedy & Moving Drama Makes This The Perfect Gone Girl Successor
Milch & Her Writing Team Never Forget To Find Levity In Their Story
While its twisty plot is certainly gripping, whereThe Better Sisterreally shines is in its tone. Milch, who previously co-wrote the script forOcean’s 8, and her writers room find a great balance of mystery, comedy and character drama that makes it all the more exciting to watch. Having characters who allow us to laugh not only helps them feel more relatable, but also easier to want to keep following them.
One of the best examples of such is that of Kim Dickens' Detective Nancy Guidry, the insightful and driven detective charged with investigating Adam’s murder, alongsideBeekeeperalum Bobby Naderi as Matt Bowen. Dickens really infuses Guidry with such a grounded authenticity and a matter-of-fact sense of humor that it’s almost hard not to root for her in her quest. The unique demeanor and levity she brings to the series makes the show feel all the more likeaGone Girlfollow-up, as though Detective Rhonda Boney walked right out of Flynn’s novel and into Burke’s.
The Better Sister’s Ensemble Roster All Deliver Magnificent Performances
Elizabeth Banks & Jessica Biel, In Particular, Feel Like Genuine Siblings
As if the show’s writing and story didn’t stand well enough on their own,The Better Sisteralso benefits from having an excellent roster of performers turning in great performances. Jessica Biel, already intimately familiar with the genre thanks tothe likes ofThe SinnerandCandy, is truly compelling as we follow Chloe’s gradual descent from being in control of everything. Elizabeth Banks admittedly has a few moments in which the comedy undermines her genuine dramatic chops, but she largely broke my heart as she unpacks layer after layer of the damaged-yet-well-meaning Nick.
Beyond Biel and Banks, whose sibling dynamic also feels incredibly realistic in moments of bickering, and the aforementioned great turn from Dickens, a surprising face who stands out inThe Better Sister’s cast is that of Maxwell Acee Donovan as Ethan. TheThat ’90s Showalumdoes a fantastic job of balancing the guarded nature of Ethan with that of his kinder soul. It not only keeps us guessing whether he did it, but we also sympathize with his potential motives for doing so. While I don’t know that it needs a season 2,The Better Sisteris a well-rounded new entry in the mystery genre.
