The buzz around HBO’s sharpest satire is hotter than ever. Since "The White Lotus" debuted, the series has become a breakout hit for Max, mixing biting social commentary, dark comedy and a splash of murder into one unforgettable vacation package.
From Jennifer Coolidge’s scene-stealing portrayal of airheaded Tanya to Parker Posey's drawling Southern mom Victoria, each guest has left us with unforgettable moments of drama, grief, comedy and new awakenings — positive and negative. You never forget each stay at the White Lotus. It sticks with you long after the credits roll.
If you're already mourning "The White Lotus" season 3 and feeling the pain of the long wait until season 4, we curated list of shows that capture the same sharp edge and twisty storytelling seen in Mike White's smash hit series. Check in now, no reservation required.
'Bad Sisters'
Some families take their secrets to the grave. In this thriller series, the Garvey sisters resolve to save one of their sisters from her unraveling marriage by plotting to murder her toxic husband. While the sisters think they might have gotten away with murder, insurance men are on their trail with several important questions that could eventually catch up to the sisters.
The murder mystery and sharp wit of "Bad Sisters" feel like a natural continuation of "The White Lotus." The music from the show also almost becomes a character of its own, much like the iconic original theme song of "The White Lotus." - JM
Watch on Apple TV Plus
'Big Little Lies'
Based on Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name, "Big Little Lies" follows five women: Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), Renata Klein (Laura Dern), and Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz).
Beneath their seemingly perfect exteriors, each harbors secrets that unravel as they become entangled in an investigation involving a murder at an elementary school fundraiser.
It's never completely clear who's involved or who's plotting something to cover their tracks, but it's all about the lives and problems of mostly affluent people who find themselves caught up in a difficult situation. - BV
Watch on Max
'Enlightened'
Before "The White Lotus," Mike White teamed up with Laura Dern to create "Enlightened." White wrote and also acts in the series while Dern stars as Amy Jellicoe, a woman who goes through a breakdown at work before heading to a two-month stay at a holistic treatment facility.
After learning meditation and self-help practices, Amy returns to her former workplace and gets re-hired to what she sees as a demoted position. She starts to uncover corporate corruption at the company and begins a quest to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
Just like "The White Lotus" gave a platform for Coolidge’s comedic performance, "Enlightened" showcases Dern’s acting skills as well — especially in her facial expressions during the show’s memorable opening scene in the pilot. And some of Amy’s characteristics fall in line with Tanya's. Both are complicated women who mean well but can’t quite read the room most of the time. - JM
Watch on Max
'The Resort'
"The Resort" stars Cristin Milioti and William Jackson Harper as Emma and Noah, a couple who arrive in Yucatán, Mexico for a relaxing getaway while their marriage is on the fray. They soon become enveloped in a murder mystery when Emma finds a mobile phone that belonged to a college student who went missing from a neighboring resort 15 years ago.
Both "The White Lotus" and "The Resort" portray privileged couples who are going through rough patches with a mix of comedy and drama, though the latter has less social commentary.
The series allows audiences to play detective alongside Emma and Noah with a focus more on mystery than "The White Lotus." Fans of true crime will enjoy putting all the pieces together before the main characters do. - JM
Watch on Peacock
'Dead to Me'
![Dead to Me | Season 1 Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BwYBw1raC2o/maxresdefault.jpg)
The two breakout stars of "The White Lotus" season 2 included real-life friends Simona Tabasco as Lucia and Beatrice Grannò as Mia, two Sicilians who keep the American men vacationing at the resort on their toes and reaching into their wallets.
Netflix’s "Dead to Me" also features two women whose friendship is at the center of a dark comedy. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini (who are also pals off-camera) star as Jen Harding and Judy Hale, two women who are unknowingly bound by a hit-and-run fatality in Orange County’s Laguna Beach.
Each episode of the first season keeps audiences hooked with whodunit twists and turns of mystery. Over the show’s three seasons, Jen and Judy hide bodies and evade the cops before they take off on one last trip together. - JM
Watch on Netflix
'Little Fires Everywhere'
Another book-centric series, "Little Fires Everywhere" is based on Celeste Ng's 2017 novel. Set in the late 1990s in Shaker Heights, Ohio, it delves into the secrets of families: the Richardsons, led by journalist Elena (Reese Witherspoon), and the Warrens, which are artist Mia (Kerry Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood).
When Mia and Pearl rent a house from the Richardsons, their lives begin to interwine, leading to a cavalcade of secrets that bubble to the surface between both parties.
From only child Pearl's struggles with loneliness to Elena's self-centered need to place herself in everyone's lives, there's a ton of drama to unpack here. If that's what draws you to "The White Lotus", you'll find all of that in droves. - BV
Watch on Hulu
'Nine Perfect Strangers'
Similar to the White Lotus, strangers come together as guests at a luxurious resort (albeit one focused on health and wellness) in "Nine Perfect Strangers," based on Liane Moriarty’s New York Times best-selling book.
The nine strangers seek an escape from their emotional turmoils by heading Tranquillum House, founded by spiritual guide Masha (played by Nicole Kidman). Masha takes an unorthodox approach in helping her hand-picked guests deal with their traumas — including having them lie in individual graves they each dig themselves.
While White Lotus hotel managers Armond (Murray Bartlett) and Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore) care about making sure every detail is ironed out on their guests’ itineraries, Masha uses her guests as pawns in her master plan and viewers see she has secrets of her own she is trying to escape from. - JM
Watch on Hulu
'Harlan Coben’s Safe'
![Safe Season 1 | Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KxywNVLAf5o/maxresdefault.jpg)
This adaptation of crime author Harlan Coben's novel stars Michael C. Hall as Tom, a widower struggling to raise his two teenage daughters after his wife’s death. One day, his oldest daughter, Jenny (played by Amy James-Kelly,) goes missing along with her boyfriend.
Tom enlists the help of his new girlfriend, Sophie (Amanda Abbington), a local police detective who starts investigating a running list of witnesses and sources in the small community. Both start to uncover secrets some community members hoped to keep hidden.
For fans of "The White Lotus" who enjoy trying to figure out the identity of the dead body revealed in the premiere episodes, "Safe" provides a mystery that teases clues up until the finale. The series also pokes fun at privilege and new money like "The White Lotus." - JM
Watch on Netflix
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