A Clever Mix of Family Drama and Murder Mystery

Catharsis and unique family dynamics figure prominently, both on and off-screen, in The Better Sister. Based on Alafair Burke’s bestselling novel, this Prime Video limited series finds two very different sisters (Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks) creating a united front when one of the siblings’ husbands (Corey Stoll) is murdered. That is, until their daddy issues rise to the surface.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, creator Olivia Milch and producer Elizabeth Milch — real-life sisters — join forces to bring Burke’s work to the screen. Their father is David Milch, the genius behind Hill Street Blue, NYPD Blue, and Deadwood; the elder Milch has admitted to issues with addiction, mirroring some of the issues Biel and Banks’ characters overcome in the series. Or try to.

Collectively, these components create an unusual murder mystery in the vein of head-turners like The Staircase, Candy and Paramount+’s Presumed Innocent. Despite its killer plot, The Better Sister is relatable, evoking universal themes of family dysfunction and the emotional costs of pursuing extreme individuality—hence the “better” in the title. That may disappoint audiences looking for just a gritty whodunnit, but Biel and Banks command the screen in refreshingly nuanced performances, elevating The Better Sister all around.

Twisted Sisters

The sisters in this series are polar opposites: Chloe (Biel) is a rising media mogul with a busy lawyer husband, Adam (Stoll), and a teenage son named Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). Nicky (Banks), meanwhile, is short on cash and muddling through her 12-step program. Here’s the twist: Ethan is Nicky’s biological son, and Adam is Nicky’s ex. Not only do these sisters share a past history with a troubled father, but their adult life is also peppered with twisty family dynamics that are fun to watch.

One night, Chloe returns home from a party and finds Adam bleeding out on the floor, and her living room a blood-splattered mess. By episode two, Ethan is taken into custody, pulling Nicky deeper into this tangled web. As we soon learn, underneath Chloe’s picture-perfect demeanor is a bevy of secrets. Co-showrunners Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado intentionally reveal these slowly, through conversations between Chloe and her colleagues, played by Lorraine Toussaint, Revon Yousif and Matthew Modine.

These twists mirror plot points in the book, but on screen they splinter the project, dividing it into part family drama and part murder mystery that turns into a courtroom saga in the second half. In a refreshing turn, The Better Sister wants the audience to know all of its characters, Chloe and Nicky. It’s rare to find a project with so much detail and backstory awarded to the supporting cast: Mare of Easttown comes to mind, as does Paramount+’s version of Presumed Innocent. The Better Sister stands out because of these choices, even though it occasionally makes the tone of the series a bit of a mystery — especially when the showrunners begin to add comedic elements.

Immersive Performances

Biel and Banks are stellar performers, and it would have been easy for the directors —Stephanie Laing and Craig Gillespie, both of Physical, helmed several episodes — to use their celebrity to anchor some of these scenes. But the duo lose themselves in their characters, generating a mix of intrigue and aggravation over the choices Chloe and Nicky make and the secrets they carry.

Banks tends to steal the spotlight, however. Ger character has been more directly impacted by family dysfunction, while Biel’s Chloe did everything she could to rise above it. But even that proved to be futile — with each passing episode, we discover that Chloe is not necessarily “better” than Nicky at all. Watching these actresses play off each other is exciting: Biel and Banks have perfect onscreen chemistry, luring the audiences deeper into a mysterious web.

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Flashbacks arrive after the second episode, and little by little, we learn more about the sisters’ father, as well as their deceased mother. With their own personal journeys at stake — Chloe’s media business, Nicky’s sobriety and life choices— the sisters will either unravel or prop each other up. The supporting performances are great as well: Donovan turns in a memorable performance as troubled son Ethan, and Toussaint is exceptional as Catherine, a fierce businesswoman. Modine camps it up as Chloe’s pal Bill, and even doorman Arty (Michael Harney of NCIS: Origins) is integral to the plot. Far from a cookie-cutter creation, this limited series is a deft mix of family drama and murder mystery, with Biel and Banks in full command.

The Better Sister premieres on Prime Video on May 25.