Okay, so you’ve just watched the last episode of Imperfect Women and now have no idea what to watch next? Here are a few shows that share some similarities with Imperfect Women that you may be into – once you’ve had a chance to have a lie-down and a cup of tea to get over that ending!
Whether you’re looking for a new TV recommendation, what to read next, or what to line-up next in your podcast queue, we’ve got you covered, with our new entertainment series, ‘So You’re a Fan Of’. We’ll be working our way through new or popular TV shows, movies, books/authors and podcasts and will then match-make you with other suggestions for you to try!
Imperfect Women has topped the Apple TV charts in recent weeks – and it’s easy to see why, the show is compelling.
I started watching by accident when, like half of the country, it seems, I caught Covid again and was looking for something to watch while I was cooped up in bed. I knew absolutely NOTHING about this show, but saw it come up on Apple TV – just the title, plus the three main actors: Elizabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara. This line-up!?!? I needed no further information – I was in.
To be honest, it’s premise is a little tired: a bunch of women who seem to be living picture-perfect lives, but – gasp – beneath the surface lie dark, messy secrets.
We’re introduced to the three main women who are best friends, or, as the voiceover says, they share “a kinship from deep in our souls” (there’s plenty of cringy writing, unfortunately). But, almost immediately we find ourselves in an interrogation room (very reminiscent of Big Little Lies) because one of the women has been murdered… and it seems there’s a lot to learn about what has really been going on in the lives of these three women.
The thing is, this show should be better than it is, considering how glossy and big budgeted it is – and the caliber of the cast – but honestly, it’s still some good escapist fun.
Each of the three characters tells the story from their perspective for a couple of episodes as gradually we get to learn more about what was really going on in the lives of these three women and the secrets they all kept from one another. It’s based on the book of the same name by Araminta Hall – but, if you’ve read the book, you’ll still be in for a surprise because the ending has been altered for the TV show and a different person is responsible for the murder.
Honestly? After reading about the novel, I think it would have made for a much more interesting ending. Personally, I gave a massive eye roll as this show ended (no spoiler alerts here – but, THAT LOOK that those two gave each other at the end of the show just made me groan. Anyone else?
Little Fires Everywhere
If Big Little Lies and Imperfect Women somehow had a baby, that child would be Little Fires Everywhere. It stars Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon (SEE!), but that’s not where all the similarities lie.
Little Fires Everywhere is based off the brilliant Celeste Ng novel of the same name. Reese Witherspoon plays Elena Richardson – a journalist, landlady and mother of four teenagers who seems to live a picture perfect life. But, disaster strikes – her home is engulfed in fire. She’s then informed that her home was intentionally set on fire – with her inside it. Like all shows seem to want to start off at the moment, we’re given this information and then whisked back in time to find out what led up to this insane moment.
We’re then taken on a rollercoaster ride as the show explores the weight of secrets, digging into race, privilege, motherhood and just how complicated female relationships can be. Like Imperfect Women, the show tells the story from the characters different perspectives – and although it has that beautiful big-budget feel, it doesn’t always quite hit the mark.
Watch it on: TVNZ+
The Affair
One of the things I liked most about Imperfect Women (besides the incredible cast), was how we cycled through the characters, telling the story from all of their unique perspectives – it can be such a powerful way to tell a story. But in my opinion, no one has ever done this quite as powerfully as The Affair did.
The Affair is SUCH a good watch – there are five seasons, although to be honest it does lose the plot a bit towards the end and the first couple are the best. If it weren’t for the fact that – not really a spoiler alert – a four-year-old boy dies in it and I find anything about kids dying too scary at the moment having young kids myself, I’d watch it all again in a heartbeat.
It follows Noah Solloway who is married with four children – he works as a teacher who wrote a novel but is struggling to write a second. He’s also struggling with the fact that he has this quite lovely, priviliged life, but it’s really down to the fact that his wife’s family is loaded. They’re spending the summer at her parents extravagant home in Montauk, New York. But when they stop for lunch at a diner, he meets Alison, a waitress, who stops in to save the day when one of Noah’s children start choking. It’s triggering for Alison because it’s the birthday of her son Gabriel, who died when he was four after a drowning incident. The pair meet by chance again that evening an begin an affair… which will have huge repercussions. During the first episode we also start flicking forward into the future where both Noah and Alison are being interrogated by a detective who is investigating a mysterious death.
What makes this show so darned compelling though, is the story is told twice, through the two main character’s different (sometimes VERY different perspectives). We see what was going on separately in their lives, and then their interactions through their different eyes. For example, in Noah’s version of events, he sees Alison in full make-up and a very short dress – and she is very much the instigator of the affair. Whereas in her version, she’s not wearing make-up, is dressed down and it’s Noah who is the instigator.
It’s such a clever little storytelling device (although, over time it does wear a little thin).
Watch it on: Apple TV
Big Little Lies
Honestly? It felt as though Big Little Lies was the show Imperfect Women wishes it was.
If you somehow missed the phenomenon that was Big Little Lies, now is the time to get on the bandwagon. The show starts off in a very similar way: someone is dead in suspicious circumstances, but who is responsible? In Imperfect Women we already knew who the victim was – but in Big Little Lies this part of the story isn’t revealed until the very end, only adding to the drama.
This is yet another show about insane rich people doing insane rich things (and harbouring a lot of secrets!), but it is seriously brilliant, with wonderfully written characters and a stellar cast to play them. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Kravitz, Laura Dern and Shaileen Woodley round out the main cast – and are then joined by Meryl Streep for season two.
Like Imperfect Women, all the female characters are, well, imperfect. Their friendships – and idiosyncrasies – are fascinating. While both series feature incredible casts, Big Little Lies has far better scripts and storylines.
Heck, it’s been nine years… maybe it’s time for a rewatch?!?
Watch it on: NEON
The Better Sister
Okay if you liked the crime/mystery element of this story alongside the exploration into the unique dynamics that can exist between women, The Better Sister is a fab watch. The story is daaaark, but it veers into comedy at times (how can you have Elizabeth Banks in a show without this happening?) but it also reminds me of a Gillian Flynn kind-of story.
It follows a high profile media executive, Chloe (played by Jessica Biel, who is actually pretty darn great in this), who has a picturesque life living with her husband Adam and her son Ethan – living between their chic Manhattan apartment and their country house. But then Adam is murdered and we learn a few things: Ethan is actually Chloe’s step-son and his mother is none other than Chloe’s sister, Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) whom is estranged from her family. But now, as Ethan’s surviving parent, Nicky is back on the scene. And we have no idea who killed Adam – really, it could be anyone?
The detective on the case is played by Kim Dickens – her name might not be familiar to you but she’s the woman who also played the detective in Gone Girl and she basically plays the same character here, so if you enjoyed Gone Girl, this does have a similar feel.
And, in another similarity to Imperfect Women, the man who is murdered in this show just happens to be Corey Stoll – yes, Howard himself from Imperfect Women.
I found this show surprisingly good – would definitely a binge watch!
Watch it on: Prime Video
Dead To Me
Imperfect Women explored the complexity of female relationships – what we don’t know about one another and the messiness that can exist. They took it to the extreme, looking at what guilt can do and the moral grey areas that can exist.
Another show that does this – and arguably better, with just as many twists and turns – but also a few more laughs – is Dead to Me. The dialogue is much more clever and quick-witted, but brings together another all-star cast led by Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. The two form a strong friendship – one is a tightly wound widow and the other is a free spirit… with a shocking secret. This show is genuinely good – so good, it kept going for three seasons!
Watch it on: Netflix
_____________
About the Author:
