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Home - The Better Sister: A Family Drama Soaked in Secrets, Sobriety, and the Summer Hamptons
Alysse Bryson

The Better Sister: A Family Drama Soaked in Secrets, Sobriety, and the Summer Hamptons

Alysse BrysonBy Alysse BrysonJune 2, 20254 Mins Read
The Better Sister Amazon Prime
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Just as the East Coast elite dust off their linen pants and oversized sunglasses for another Hamptons summer, Amazon Prime drops a thriller thatโ€™ll keep you glued to the couch, no matter how perfect the weather outside. In my case, I was quite literally glued to the couch while working on a new art project involving buckets of rhinestones and glue. Don’t worry. I’ll soon feature that finished project in our Curated Crafts section of The Sober Curator.

The Better Sister, based on Alafair Burkeโ€™s domestic noir novel, invites us into the sparkling, scandalous world of Manhattanโ€™s power players and the dark, tangled roots they try so hard to hide. Jessica Biel brings her signature poise to the role of Chloe Taylor, a glossy magazine executive who seems to have it allโ€”until she finds her husband, Adam (Corey Stoll), dead in their Hamptons home. Shout-out to Jessica Biel’s white dress and muscular backside in this scene. Wowzers.

Enter Chloeโ€™s estranged sister, Nicky (Elizabeth Banks), a woman whoโ€™s battled addiction and messy relationships, and who also happens to be the biological mother of Chloeโ€™s teenage stepson, Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). And oh yeah, spoiler alert โ€”Ethanโ€™s now the prime suspect in his fatherโ€™s murder.

The series hits all the notes of a classic whodunitโ€”glamorous settings, high-stakes secrets, and a crime that leaves no one unscathed. But The Better Sister is more than a murder mystery; itโ€™s a meditation on family, addiction, and the blurry lines between love and resentment. As someone who recovers out loud, I was particularly struck by the phrase Chloe hurls at Nicky in a heated moment: โ€œItโ€™s always recovery porn with you people.โ€ It stung in the way only a phrase that cuts too close to home can. It made me pause and wonderโ€”do people see my own journey as a never-ending loop of self-help clichรฉs? Or do they recognize the messy, beautiful work of rebuilding a life?

โ€œItโ€™s always recovery porn with you people.โ€

As a single mother in recovery (my son was 9 when I got sober), I felt closest to Nickyโ€™s character. Elizabeth Banks nails the complicated energy of someone whoโ€™s trying so damn hard to keep it together, even when everythingโ€™s falling apart. One scene, in particular, hit me square in the gut: Nicky relapses at her ex-husbandโ€™s wake, trading five years of sobriety for one too many martinis and a bartenderโ€™s bed. (And by bed, I mean the back of the catering van.) Watching her stumble back into the bar the next morning, regrets heavy on her shoulders, ordering a triple bloody mary, was a reminder of how real the cycle of addiction can beโ€”how quickly you can go from Iโ€™ve got this to Iโ€™m lost again.

The scenes in 12-step meetingsโ€”those quiet moments of sharing and the meeting after-the-meeting parking lot chats over cigarettesโ€”felt heartbreakingly true to life. I often get annoyed at how 12-step is represented on screen, but this series gets it mostly right. In the end, The Better Sister doesnโ€™t offer easy answers. It asks what it really means to be the โ€œbetterโ€ sister. Is it the one with the big career and curated Instagram life, or the one whoโ€™s learned to own her mess and keep going, even when she stumbles?

#ADDTOCART on AMAZON

Binge-Worthy? Absolutely.
I devoured this series in a single dayโ€”yes, while also working on a new art project, because sometimes multitasking is my sobriety superpower. The showโ€™s twists kept me guessing, and its raw portrayal of addiction and family secrets left me entertained and deeply moved. If youโ€™re anything like me, youโ€™ll probably want to add Alafair Burkeโ€™s novel to your summer Addiction Fiction reading list, too.

The Better Sister is a must-watch for anyone whoโ€™s ever been told theyโ€™re too much or not enoughโ€”or dared to find out who they are beneath all the labels.

Available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.

The Mindful Binge Sobees Score: 4 out of 5

The Sobees Mindful Binge 4 Sobees

The Better Sister – Official Trailer | Prime Video

The Better Sister – Official Trailer | Prime Video

SOBER CURATOR PODCAST – THE MINDFUL BINGE: Sisters, Secrets, and Sobriety: The Sober Curator Squad Deep-Dives into โ€œThe Better Sisterโ€


The Mindful Binge TV reviews the sober curator

THE MINDFUL BINGE at The Sober Curator is where we binge-watch and chillโ€”mindfully. In this TV series review section, we donโ€™t just consume shows; we explore their stories, themes, and cultural impact through a sober lens. Using our signature Sobees Scoring System, we rate each pick to help you choose your next watch with intention.

Our digital shelves are neatly organized into Drama, Dramedy, and Reality, making it easy to find your perfect series for a night in.


movie reviews by the sober curator

MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: is your go-to guide for films and documentaries that intricately weave addiction, recovery, and mental health into powerful storytelling. Think of us as your bee-zy movie critics, curating a hive of must-watch titles that inspire, educate, and spark conversation.

Our review archives are neatly organized into Drama, Dramedy, and Documentary categories, making it easy to find your next captivating watch. Whether youโ€™re in the mood for a heartfelt indie, a laugh-through-the-tears comedy, or a thought-provoking doc, weโ€™ve got you covered.


๐Ÿ”ฅ The Sober Curator Amazon Storefront is OPEN! ๐Ÿ”ฅLooking for the ultimate sober lifestyle hookup? Weโ€™ve got you.๐Ÿ›’ Shop our curated collections for:
โœจ #QUITLIT that hits
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SOBER POP CULTURE at The Sober Curator is where mainstream trends meet the vibrant world of sobriety. We serve up a mix of movie, podcast, fashion, and book recommendations alongside alcohol-free cocktails, celebrity features, and pop culture buzzโ€”all with a sober twist.

Weโ€™re here to shatter the โ€œsobriety is boringโ€ myth with a mash-up of 80s neon, 90s hip-hop edge, early 2000s bling, and todayโ€™s hottest trends. From celebrity shoutouts to red-carpet style inspo, this is where sober is as chic as it is fun. To the celebs using their platform for goodโ€”our Sober Pop Trucker hats are off to you!

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Alysse Bryson
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Alysse Bryson is a strong woman in recovery, an innovative media maven, marketing guru, and gal about town. "I'm just a laid-back old school Seattlite...with sober superpowers. You can take the girl out of the party, but you can't take the party out of the girl."

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