UNRAVELLING FAMILY SECRETS

Mystery thriller The Better Sister has an intriguing premise but it struggles to stand out

- TATAT BUNNAG

The Better Sister is the kind of show that proves that even with a stellar cast, a gripping premise and polished production, there's no guarantee it will deliver a consistently entertaining experience.

That isn't to say the latest Prime Video mystery thriller is a bad series - far from it - but it struggles to stand out in a genre already saturated with stronger contenders. We've probably seen a dozen shows that handled similar material with more finesse and momentum.

Jessica Biel stars as Chloe, a high-powered media executive seemingly living the perfect life with her husband Adam (Corey Stoll), a respected lawyer and her teenage son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). But things are quickly upended when Adam is found murdered. His death sets the stage for a messy unravelling of family secrets, especially with the re-emergence of Chloe's estranged sister, Nikki, played by Elizabeth Banks. Nikki is the complete opposite of Chloe - she struggles to stay clean, grapples with financial instability and carries a volatile past.

This premise could have made for a taut psychological thriller and to some degree it succeeds. I found the show's structure intriguing - unfolding the murder mystery in layers through flashbacks and character recollections. Rather than frontloading us with all the details, the story takes its time to provide context while teasing us with clues. This narrative technique works well in the beginning, drawing the viewer in without giving too much away too soon.