Originally produced for Starz before being licensed to Netflix, “The Hunting Wives” might have gotten lost in the streaming shuffle, but instead, it’s become a major hit.
The campy murder mystery based on May Cobb’s novel has risen to the top of the Netflix TV charts, above popular Netflix originals like “Untamed” and “Perfect Match.”
“The Hunting Wives” has a bit of a throwback style, combining the twisty storytelling of old-school primetime soaps with the explicit content of modern streaming series. It’s an erotic thriller that emphasizes both parts of that designation, with lots of bed-hopping as Boston transplant Sophie (Brittany Snow) navigates the treacherous world of wealthy Texas housewives — and forms a very intimate bond with glamorous socialite Margo (Malin Akerman).
If you’ve binged all eight episodes and are looking for more sexy, dangerous intrigue among the rich and powerful, here are five shows like “The Hunting Wives” to stream now.
‘Desperate Housewives’
This ABC classic also deals with deception and murder among wealthy suburbanites, with numerous juicy mysteries over the course of its eight seasons.
Like “The Hunting Wives,” “Desperate Housewives” has a sense of humor about itself, and creator Marc Cherry combines self-aware comedy with all the shocking twists that fans of primetime soaps expect. The show never takes itself too seriously, but also never undermines the emotional impact of the characters’ decisions.
Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria and Marcia Cross play the title characters, with other residents of fictional Wisteria Lane coming and going throughout the series. Although the men of the neighborhood are often just as desperate and depraved, the show keeps its focus on the women, making them into fascinating, well-rounded characters as they engage in all sorts of devious behavior.
Watch on Prime Video or Hulu
‘Big Little Lies’
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Also based on a popular novel, this HBO hit is a bit classier than “The Hunting Wives,” but it still luxuriates in the high-end lifestyle of its privileged characters.
There’s a murder here, too, one that the characters played by Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz are eager to cover up. Just like Sophie and Margo, they coordinate their stories to throw suspicion elsewhere while dealing with multiple personal dramas at home.
The first season of “Big Little Lies” masterfully balances the pulpy mystery with brilliant, layered performances and ambitious non-linear storytelling, but the less successful second season could serve as a cautionary tale for “The Hunting Wives.” Extending the story past the source novel is a difficult prospect, and while “Big Little Lies” sometimes stumbles, “The Hunting Wives” still has the chance to get that right.
Watch on HBO Max
‘Palm Royale’
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If “Big Little Lies” represents a more serious take on this type of material, then “Palm Royale” goes the other way, fully embracing the campy possibilities of its story set among the social elite of 1969 Palm Beach, Florida. Kristen Wiig stars as ruthless but cheerful social climber Maxine Dellacorte, who’s determined to use her husband’s dubious family connections to insinuate herself into Palm Beach high society.
Allison Janney and Leslie Bibb are especially entertaining as Maxine’s well-connected frenemies, who reluctantly offer her assistance only when it benefits them as well.
The costume and production design are wonderfully garish, and the storytelling is equally outrageous. Wiig knows when to play up the comedy, but she also finds the pathos in Maxine’s desperation to fit in.
Watch on Apple TV Plus
‘Devious Maids’
Marc Cherry is also behind this Lifetime series, which shifts its emphasis to the employees of the upper class, focusing on maids who work for four Beverly Hills families. There’s still a murder, though, as one of their fellow maids is killed at the beginning of the first episode.
Ana Ortiz, Dania Ramirez, Roselyn Sánchez and Judy Reyes play the characters who are far more than just the household help, as they get deeply involved in the scandals of their employers.
Cherry retains the sense of humor he brought to “Desperate Housewives” while engaging more directly in commentary on class and race. It’s not quite as pointed as the political jabs on “The Hunting Wives,” but it demonstrates that even shows full of sexy people in compromising positions can use that salaciousness as a reflection of a fractured society.
Watch on Hulu
‘Revenge’
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It’s Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) who’s initially seeking revenge in this brooding, often darkly amusing ABC series, but there are so many betrayals and reversals over the course of its four seasons that the title could ultimately apply to the majority of the characters.
Emily enters the exclusive world of Hamptons society under false pretenses, seeking justice for her imprisoned father, who was framed by a high-powered Hamptons family. It’s safe to say that nothing Emily thinks she knows is true, and there is a dizzying array of reveals as the series goes on, anchored by VanCamp’s fierce performance.
The more ludicrous that “Revenge” gets, the more fun it can be to watch, although it eventually collapses under its own weight. Even at its most absurd, though, it’s still lavish, lurid and lively.
Watch on Hulu