One Netflix murder mystery thriller is a must-watch for fans of the genre, and there’s no better time for a binge now that its sophomore outing is on the way in only a few weeks. It is fair to say that the streaming era has thoroughly revived the thriller miniseries, and not just with dark shows like Netflix’s That Night. Between Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Peacock’s Poker Face, Netflix’s The Residence, and Apple TV’s The After Party, every major streaming service has at least one murder mystery comedy in its roster.
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What is a little less common is a show that successfully blends murder mystery storytelling with the familiar tropes of the teen drama genre. Riverdale attempted this before spinning out into far wilder territory, while Pretty Little Liars offered plenty of juicy drama but fumbled when it came to making sense of the show’s central mystery. Fortunately, Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name by British author Holly Jackson, balances both genres perfectly.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Blends Teen Drama With A Murder Mystery Story
Released in August 2024, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder mixes a critique of the true-crime phenomenon into its twisty teen mystery. The series stars Wednesday’s breakout star Emma Myers as Pip, a high schooler who focuses her final year research project on a local girl who went missing from her small hometown five years earlier. Although the police are satisfied that their primary suspect, who took his life before the case went to trial, was guilty, Pip is not so certain.
Like the Holy Jackson book series upon which it’s based, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder manages the tricky task of balancing teen drama with its main murder mystery plot without either feeling like a distraction from the other. Pip is an engaging detective and the central mystery is far from predictable, with numerous twists and turns that make it impossible to stop after one episode. This ensures that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder functions as a solid whodunit for viewers who have no interest in its teen drama side.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Season 2 Avoids A Common Netflix Thriller Problem
However, for viewers who prefer teen movie classics like Mean Girls to the Knives Out movies, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder also has plenty of romance, gossip, and character comedy to make the Netflix work equally well as a straightforward teen drama. Furthermore, the fact that the series is adapted from a trilogy of novels means A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder can avoid a common problem faced by many earlier Netflix thriller shows, including plenty that were critically acclaimed upon release.
The upcoming A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder season 2 adapts the second book in the series, meaning all the revelations of season 1’s twist ending will have a meaningful payoff and consequences. Too many one-off psychological thriller shows ends with big rug-pull twists that, while memorable for their shock value and novelty, make the creation of a satisfying followup season all but impossible. In contrast, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder can deepen its story in the show’s second outing thanks to the superb source material of the series.
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