'The Better Sister' Review: A Domestic Thriller that Digs Deep Into Family Drama and Keeps the Stakes High
- Romey Norton
- May 28
- 3 min read
By Romey Norton - May 28, 2025
If you’ve ever wondered how deep sisterly grudges can go, The Better Sister takes that question and runs with it. Premiering on Prime Video, this eight-part thriller is packed with tension, sharp twists, and powerhouse performances from Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks.
Sisters, Secrets, and Suspicion?
The series gets straight into a gripping web of lies, loss, and one very suspicious murder. On the surface, Chloe (Biel) has built a life that screams success, flourishing career, beautiful Manhattan apartment, and a tight-knit family. But when her husband Adam is found dead under mysterious circumstances, everything she thought was stable begins to unravel.
Enter Nicky (Banks), Chloe’s estranged sister and Adam’s ex-wife, who also happens to be the biological mother of Chloe’s teenage son. Yep. It's complicated, but that’s what gives this story and its characters such emotional depth.
Forced back into each other's lives by tragedy and suspicion, the sisters must reckon with their shared past, one loaded with betrayal, resentment, and long-buried secrets. The deeper the investigation goes, the murkier the truth becomes.
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks are the perfect on-screen opposites. Biel plays Chloe with steely control, while Banks gives Nicky an unpredictable edge. There’s something oddly satisfying about watching two characters who love, and possibly loathe, each other try to piece together a puzzle that might destroy them both.
They both give compelling performances, with Biel giving the performance of her career. Bank’s character is one we’ve seen often - even think of Sal in Modern Family, but darker - but that doesn’t mean she’s any less amazing or convincing. The supporting characters, from the son to the police, help drive and tell this dark and intriguing story. Everyone is completely committed to their roles and has excellent chemistry.
The cinematography is sharp and stylish, with a multitude of blue and grey tones to keep scenes dimly lit, creating a sense of intrigue. Directed with slick precision, The Better Sister mixes glossy thriller aesthetics with a solid psychological edge. It’s a show that knows exactly what it is: a page-turner brought to life. Think Big Little Lies meets Gone Girl, but with more wine-fuelled confrontations and side-eye glances over coffee.
As the story progresses, it’ll keep audiences guessing with its many little twists and turns and secrets slowly unravelled; it’s a true murder mystery. The series manages to keep a strong, solid pace throughout the hour-long episodes, all ending on some sort of cliff-hanger, making sure you binge this series in one sitting. Not giving too many spoilers, but the end is not a disappointment.
Is 'The Better Sister' Your Next Binge-Worthy Mystery?
Overall, The Better Sister delivers all the intrigue, mess, and moral grey zones you'd want in a binge-worthy mystery series. It's smart enough to keep you guessing, but juicy enough to be pure entertainment. If you’re looking for a dark thriller series to sink your teeth into, you’ve found it. Get watching it now!
New original series 'The Better Sister' releases on Prime Video May 29
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