Bad Sisters

“Murder is fraud when there is a life policy to pay out”. While the authorities have ruled the death of John Paul Williams an accident, Claffin and Sons’ insurance agents are hellbent on proving the opposite. The disbursement to Williams’s dependants would plummet the small business into bankruptcy, but suspicion of foul play permits them a denial of the claim. As clumsy detectives as the Claffins may be, their shot in the dark unearths that all of the bereaved – the widow and her four sisters in particular – had ample motive, means and opportunity to harm the deceased.

Based on a Flemish series Clan (aired in the UK as The Out-Laws, not to be confused with the Prime Video series of the same name), Bad Sisters relocates the action to Dublin and lures audiences in with glorious images of the Irish east coast that perfectly capture the tone of the story. There is a freedom to the cliffs and the ocean that liberates the protagonists from their responsibilities, their sorrows and their domestic restrictions, whenever they jump into the water or take a stroll at the beach.

A number of shows shoot their wad in the pilot and have trouble maintaining the same quality throughout the remaining episodes. The opposite is the case with this dark comedy series. It can be difficult for an audience to keep up with a large number of characters that are simultaneously introduced, especially when they are family members. Nevertheless, the opening five minutes of Bad Sisters, wherein each of the protagonists is presented alongside a name tag, make both the characters and the content appear much blander than they actually are. The viewer’s familiarisation with each of the sisters happens organically as the plot progresses and offers an investment into their fate.

This is also due to the brilliant cast. Sharon Horgan not only developed the adaptation but co-wrote the episodes and stars as hard-nosed Eva Garvey, one of the titular sisters. Claes Bang’s obnoxious JP Williams is the very definition of a misogynist bigot, an antagonist viewers will love to hate. Anne-Marie Duff brings her A-game, playing his wife and doormat. Down to the odd brother duo consisting of Brian Gleeson and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande star Daryl McCormack – who function as the sister’s adversaries – the series is studded with talent who deliver on both comedic and dramatic high tones.

Be it banal chit-chat or devious plotting, the entire family dynamic is authentically portrayed and full of love, betraying the show’s title. These are good sisters, perhaps the best you can hope for. The only thing up for question is, are they also good people?

Selina Sondermann

Bad Sisters is released on Apple TV+ on 19^th August 2022.

Watch the trailer for Bad Sisters here: