The Better Sister is now streaming on Prime Video.
By Greg Wheeler
There’s something inherently compelling about crime dramas that center on complex, often volatile, relationships between women. When two strong-willed female leads clash, their tension and chemistry can elevate even the most familiar of plots. While this isn’t an overpopulated genre, standout series like Killing Eve, Dead to Me, Big Little Lies, and Good Girls have demonstrated its appeal. Now, The Better Sister joins the fray.
The series is an eight-episode drama adapted from Alafair Burke’s novel of the same name. Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Cruella), the series tackles weighty themes such as estrangement, trauma, domestic abuse, and institutional corruption. It stars Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Corey Stoll, Kim Dickens, and Maxwell Acee Donovan.
The show opens with the murder of Adam Macintosh, a prominent New York attorney and husband to Chloe Taylor, a high-powered magazine editor. Chloe’s life appears picture-perfect, she is influential, admired for her candor, and firmly embedded in New York’s social elite. But her world unravels when Adam is found dead and her son, Ethan, becomes the prime suspect.
Complicating matters further, the police reach out to Nicky Macintosh, Chloe’s estranged sister and Adam’s ex-wife. Nicky is also Ethan’s biological mother. Once close, the sisters have grown apart, with Nicky having struggled with substance use and Chloe having seemingly assumed the life Nicky might have had.
With Detective Nancy Guidry pursuing Ethan as the likely culprit, Chloe and Nicky are forced into an uneasy alliance. As they attempt to clear Ethan’s name and uncover the truth behind Adam’s death, their fractured relationship takes center stage.
Banks and Biel are the heart of the series, portraying Nicky and Chloe with nuance and bite. Banks plays Nicky with emotional volatility and rawness, while Biel’s portrayal of Chloe as guarded and neurotic balances the dynamic. Their scenes crackle with tension and vulnerability, offering the show’s most compelling moments.
The series is at its strongest when it focuses on the sisters’ evolving bond, exploring their resentment, regrets, and gradual path toward understanding. Unfortunately, the central murder mystery, meant to drive the plot, feels more like a distraction. The investigative elements lack credibility and are less engaging than the characters’ emotional journeys.
Stylistically, the show cleverly uses music and visual cues to distinguish the sisters. Nicky is associated with energetic tracks like Wanda Jackson’s “Whirlpool,” while Chloe is paired with more subdued selections, such as a mellow cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” These choices reinforce the contrast in their personalities and lifestyles.
Still, the show misses opportunities to push these aesthetic contrasts further. Where Netflix’s Sirens embraced bold, stylized visuals to explore class divides and identity, The Better Sister settles for generic costuming, cool-toned, minimalist wardrobes for the wealthy and drab looks for Nicky. The visual choices feel uninspired compared to the show’s thematic ambition.
More troubling, however, is how the series handles its supporting characters. Attempts at diversity feel superficial and at times problematic. Several characters, such as an Iranian detective, a queer officer, and a Latino romantic interest, are introduced but then stereotyped, underdeveloped, or discarded. Similarly, the inclusion of a Black board member and a flamboyant boss leans into caricature without meaningful depth or follow-through. These portrayals feel tokenistic and detract from the overall narrative quality.
The murder mystery itself is riddled with plot holes and shaky logic. Had the writers chosen to streamline the story and focus entirely on the sisters’ dynamic, the show might have soared. It’s hard not to compare it to Dead to Me, which similarly blended grief, mystery, and female friendship but did so with sharper writing and a more cohesive tone.
Ultimately, The Better Sister squanders the potential of its central relationship by overcomplicating the narrative with a half-baked mystery and uneven character development. Banks and Biel deliver memorable performances, but they deserve a stronger script.
I give The Better Sister a C.
TV and City 