If you’re looking for a thrilling new “whodunit” series on Prime Video, The Better Sister is the ticket. I found this limited series extremely entertaining, riveting in parts and overall very well-made. 

 

Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel are both terrific as estranged sisters brought back together by a shocking murder that rocks both their worlds. 

 

Biel plays Chloe - the “good” sister in that she is wealthy, sleek, professional and seemingly has it all together with a high-profile career, penthouse in Manhattan and beachfront home in the Hamptons.

 

Banks is outstanding as Nicky - the “bad” sister who has long battled alcoholism, addiction and poverty - and who has basically been shut out of Chloe and her family’s lives. The catch? Chloe’s husband Adam was Nicky’s husband first - and Chloe and Adam’s son, Ethan, is actually Nicky and Adam’s son.

 

I love the way The Better Sister slowly unveils its complex secrets and family drama, giving you a few more answers each episode and exploring each character’s diverse POV in turn. The sister you root for in the beginning may not be the sister you root for in the end - or is she?

 

I must give a nod to Kim Dickens, who is superb as a tough-as-nails detective trying to solve the murder, and to Matthew Modine, creepily excellent as always as Adam’s wealthy boss. Michael Harney, as the doorman Arty, also steals a few scenes with his compelling screen presence.

 

There are so many twists, turns and tricky moments here as the characters reveal themselves. Not everything as it seems in the land of wealth and power - and it is all beautifully shot in gorgeous surroundings.

 

I like the pacing here, except for right at the very end when it speeds up to the point that it was almost hard to follow. There’s one loose end involving a side character that I still cannot puzzle through or figure out what happened to him. If you watch and can tell me exactly what happened to the hot surfer-neighbor-lawyer dude, be sure to let me know!

 

All in all, The Better Sister is well worth watching and did a great job adapting the original source material, a best-selling novel by Alafair Burke. Lovers of mystery, thrillers, the intricacies of sisterhood and girl power will appreciate The Better Sister.