With so many new shows and movies out right now, you want to watch everything as soon as possible. Prime Video has a twisty new release, The Better Sister, starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks. The question now is whether this is something to watch before or after the kids go to bed.
The series opens with Biel’s character, Chloe, coming home to find her husband dead. He’s been murdered, and naturally, the spouse is always the main suspect. However, things take a twist when secrets of this family start to come out. It turns out that Chloe married the ex-husband of her sister, Nicky (Banks).
On top of that, Chloe’s son is actually her nephew. As family secrets start to spill out, the truth about the murder has to be revealed, and you’ll want to watch this show all the way to the end to find out what really happened.
The Better Sister age rating: Explaining the TV-MA rating
Prime Video has officially given this series a TV-MA rating, which means that it’s aimed toward adults. That means those 18 and over, but the contents of the series itself could suggest that older teens could get into it. I wouldn’t put it on with smaller kids around, though.
Sex & nudity: There isn’t too much in the way of sex and nudity in this series. There are moments where characters are partially undressed as they’re getting ready for bed or as they’re waking up in the morning, but nothing is graphically shown. The focus is on the mystery of this family.
Violence & gore: The series opens with the murder of the husband, and while his injuries are not shown in detail, it’s clear that he has been murdered. There is blood everywhere, including all over Chloe’s dress because she ran to him to try to save him after walking into the house.
This is the theme throughout the series. We do see some injuries clearly, especially the blood and the bruises, but nothing is too gory in terms of fight scenes and action.
Language: The F-bomb is dropped multiple times throughout the series, especially by Nicky. Other swear words, such as the S-word, the B-words, and words like “Jesus Christ” and “Hell” are regularly used.
Alcohol & drugs: There are multiple mentions of drugs throughout, as Nicky is a recovering drug addict. We do get a flashback scene in the very first episode where she is high, but she’s not seen taking anything. In the present day, she shares that she is five years sober.
There is also some alcohol seen throughout, mostly at parties or in the house when Chloe is trying to deal with everything that is happening around her. In the premiere, she is drunk and mentions how she will have a hangover the next day, but we don’t see her drink to excess on the screen.
Overall verdict: Who is The Better Sister appropriate for?
Older teens could get into this series, especially with the twistiness and the murder mystery element to it. However, this isn’t necessarily made for them, and some of them may lose interest. This definitely isn’t for the younger members of the household, so I’d keep it away from anyone under the age of 16 — to be honest, even if there wasn’t the level of profanity and blood in it, I don’t think under-16s will appreciate the storytelling all that much.
The Better Sister is available to stream in full on Prime Video.