Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks team up for twisted new murder mystery
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks team up for twisted new murder mystery
‘The Better Sister’ drops Thursday, May 29 with eight episodes of family drama and dark secrets.
I was hooked on Jessica Biel the moment I watched Season 1 of “The Sinner” — she was sharp, haunted, and totally magnetic. Now she’s back in murder mystery mode with “The Better Sister,” a dark new limited series on Prime Video that pairs her with Elizabeth Banks as estranged sisters thrown back into each other’s lives after a brutal killing. The twist? The victim is Banks’s ex-husband… and Biel’s current one. Add a teenage son, some tabloid chaos, and a whole lot of buried secrets, and you’ve got a tangled family drama just waiting to unravel. Here’s everything you need to know before “The Better Sister” drops all eight episodes on Thursday, May 29 only on Prime Video.
How to watch ‘The Better Sister’
- When: Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 3 a.m. ET
- TV: Prime Video
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to Prime Video.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about ‘The Better Sister’:
When will episodes of ‘The Better Sister’ come on Prime Video?
“The Better Sister” premieres Thursday, May 29, 2025, on Prime Video, with all eight episodes of the limited series dropping at once.
Can you watch ‘The Better Sister’ for free?
Yes, you can. Since “The Better Sister” is a streaming exclusive on Prime Video, that means that new customers are able to take advantage of the service’s introductory 30-day free trial. If you are especially excited about the show, what makes this option even better is that since the season is going to be a binge drop, you have a full month to watch all 10 episodes before you have to pay Amazon a single cent.
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What is ‘The Better Sister’ about?
“The Better Sister” is a character-driven thriller about the fallout of one man’s murder — and the fractured family left behind. Jessica Biel plays Chloe, a polished media exec who seems to have it all: a dream career, a beautiful home, and a family that includes her successful husband Adam and teenage stepson Ethan. But that picture-perfect life shatters when Adam is found dead in their home, and the investigation quickly turns toward someone very close to them. The deeper the detectives dig, the more Chloe’s carefully curated world starts to come undone.
What complicates things even further? Chloe’s estranged sister, Nicky — played by Elizabeth Banks — is not only Ethan’s birth mom, but also Adam’s ex. Their family tree is already messy, and now they’re being dragged back into each other’s lives by a murder that stirs up years of resentment, betrayal, and regret. As Chloe and Nicky try to protect Ethan and piece together what really happened, they also have to navigate their own strained dynamic — and the public scrutiny that comes with a scandal like this. The tabloids brand them “sister wives,” and the court of public opinion doesn’t hold back.
This isn’t a typical whodunit. While the mystery of Adam’s death drives the plot forward, the real tension lives in the emotional space between these two sisters. It’s about what happens when long-buried secrets resurface, when grief turns into suspicion, and when the only person who might understand your pain is the one you’ve spent years trying to avoid. “The Better Sister” blends family drama with psychological suspense, and it’s less about cracking the case and more about how far people will go to protect — or destroy — the ones they love.
Watch the trailer for ‘The Better Sister’
Who stars in the ‘The Better Sister’ TV series?
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks lead the cast of “The Better Sister” as Chloe Taylor and Nicky Macintosh, two sisters with a long and complicated past. Biel plays Chloe, a successful media executive whose perfect life unravels after the murder of her husband, Adam — played by Corey Stoll. Banks steps into the role of Nicky, Chloe’s estranged sister and Adam’s ex, who’s pulled back into the family orbit just as things start to spiral. Maxwell Acee Donovan plays Ethan, Nicky and Adam’s teenage son, who is now being raised by Chloe and becomes the prime suspect in his father’s murder.
The rest of the ensemble includes Kim Dickens as lead investigator Detective Nancy Guidry and Bobby Naderi as her partner, Detective Matt Bowen. Gabriel Sloyer plays Jake Rodriguez, a colleague of Adam’s at his law firm, while Matthew Modine appears as Bill Braddock, one of the firm’s founding partners. Lorraine Toussaint plays Catherine Lancaster, Chloe’s mentor and boss, and Gloria Reuben takes on the role of defense attorney Michelle Sanders. Rounding out the cast is Michael Harney as Arty, the longtime doorman at Chloe’s building, who just might know more than he lets on.
Is ‘The Better Sister’ TV series based on a book?
Yep — “The Better Sister” is based on a 2019 crime novel by Alafair Burke. The book follows Chloe Taylor, a high-powered magazine editor whose life completely unravels after her husband is murdered — and to make things even messier, he used to be married to her sister. It’s full of family drama, buried secrets, and that slow-build kind of tension where you’re constantly guessing who’s telling the truth.
Just like the book, the show isn’t really about tracking down a killer with a bunch of forensics… it’s more about what the murder digs up between two sisters who haven’t spoken in years. It leans into the emotions, the mistrust, the old wounds — all the juicy stuff. If you’re into thrillers with complicated relationships and characters who don’t play nice, this one’s right up your alley.
Who are the creators behind ‘The Better Sister’?
“The Better Sister” comes from a stacked team of folks who know their way around a good crime drama. Olivia Milch, who wrote “Ocean’s 8,” and Regina Corrado, known for “Mayor of Kingstown,” are running the show as co-showrunners and executive producers. Behind the camera, Craig Gillespie (yep, the guy who directed “Pam & Tommy”) is leading the directing team, bringing his usual touch to the series.
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks aren’t just starring in the show — they’re also executive producers, which makes sense considering how much the story centers on their characters. They’re joined by a big producing team that includes names from Tomorrow Studios and Amazon MGM Studios. Basically, it’s a crew with a lot of experience in big, buzzy TV, and they’re going all-in on making this adaptation just as layered and intense as the book.
Will there be a Season 2 of ‘The Better Sister’?
Right now, “The Better Sister” is set up as a limited series, so there aren’t any official plans for a second season. All eight episodes drop at once on Prime Video, and the story is designed to stand on its own — wrapping up the mystery and family drama without leaving things open-ended.
Of course, things can always change. “The Sinner” — which also starred Jessica Biel — was originally meant to be a limited series too, but ended up getting multiple seasons after the first one took off. If “The Better Sister” finds a big audience and fans want more, Prime Video could go the same route. But for now, it looks like this is a one-season story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.