Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for Sirens!
With only five episodes, Netflix’sSirensbreezes by; luckily, these ten shows with narrative and stylistic similarities can satiate fans' appetites. As a fan of cult shows and Meghann Fahy, I couldn’t wait to watch Sirens alongside the general audience, and it didn’t disappoint. The complicated dynamics between theSirens’ charactersmake the story compelling. The twists keep coming until the very end, making it as unpredictable as it is entertaining.
Unfortunately, for people like me who binge-watch TV shows,Sirensraces by. Because it’s a limited series, there’s no guarantee the story will continue, and frankly,we don’t needSirensseason 2because the narrative is cyclical. By the end of episode 5, the audience knows what will happen over and over again. Luckily, other alternatives exist that can entertain fans of Sirens with their similar themes, storylines, and styles.
One of the best shows to watch for fans ofSirensis HBO’sThe White Lotus. The anthology series follows a group of wealthy people who go on vacation at a White Lotus resort, expecting relaxation and enjoyment, only for everything to go horribly wrong. Since the seasons follow a different group of characters and actors, the most appealing of the three seasons will be season 2, since Meghann Fahy also acts in that ensemble.
However, all the seasons explore the same themes of wealth and power found in Netflix’sSirens. The settings in both shows are also strikingly beautiful, creating a dichotomy between the fantastical escapism and the terrifying manipulation.
The most heartbreaking part of Sirens is the fact that Simone is so desperate to fit into Michaela’s culty world that she will do almost anything to gain and keep her place. This type of character is also at the forefront of the Apple TV+ show Palm Royale. In this story, Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig) strives to climb the social ladder and secure her place among the elites in the 1969 Palm Beach high society.
Both shows ask the question of how far a person would bend their morals for fame and wealth. With equally sharp and witty dialogue, Palm Royale is the perfect choice to watch after Sirens.
Another perfect show to watch afterSirensis the Netflix miniseriesThe Perfect Couple, which was released almost a year earlier. LikeSirens, the crime drama centers around an average person finding themselves surrounded by the world of the ultra-wealthy and elite. Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson) is marrying into the Winbury family, but things go horribly wrong when a wedding guest shows up dead.
Like Sirens,The Perfect Couple’s castis packed with A-listers who play neurotic and deceitful characters. Both shows are also scathing hit pieces that draw attention to the hypocritical and manipulative behavior of the upper class. Plus, Meghann Fahy gives phenomenal performances in both shows.
Although they were released 14 years apart,Sirensfeels like a spiritual successor to the soapy TV showRevenge. The stories have shocking similarities.Revengecenters on a woman named Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), who moves to the Hamptons and integrates herself into the lives of the wealthy elite with the goal of taking them down.
While the 2025 limited series only has five episodes, the 2011 show spans four seasons, allowing for a much deeper exploration of the themes of wealth causing hypocrisy and secrets. On top of that,Revengehas an equally messy main character who fans can still root for even in her worst moments.
When Devon looks for Simone inSirens, she finds that her sister is part of the cult of personality surrounding Michaela Kell. At theend ofSirens, it’s revealed that Michaela is really just the figurehead who took over after Peter’s last wife. Similarly,The Pathfollows a New York family who are part of a fictional religious cult called Meyerism. However, Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul) starts to question his faith and the system that his family is a part of.
Both shows include an empathetic depiction of cult victims and examine the feeling of disillusionment that comes when someone breaks free from the groupthink. However,The Pathhas more tension between the characters as they each disentangle from Meyerism.
Though other shows have more narrative similarities toSirens, Hulu’sLittle Fires Everywhereis an excellent follow-up to the themes discussed in the Netflix show.Little Fires Everywherefollows the unnerving events that transpire after Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon), a wealthy woman with a savior complex, rents an apartment to Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and her daughter.
While Sirens takes a dark comedy tone,Little Fires Everywheregoes full-on psychological thriller. However, they both examine class differentials, though Hulu intersects class with race and single parenthood. Luckily,Little Fires EverywhereandSirensare both limited series, so they’re quick and easy to binge-watch.
After watchingSirens, viewers should put on the Netflix showDead to Me. The series is the epitome of gallows humor, finding comedy in literal death. The show centers on a recently widowed, jaded woman named Jen Harding (Christina Applegate), whose husband died in a hit-and-run accident. She befriends Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini), a member of her grief support group who somehow keeps her cheerful optimism.
In a way, Jen and Judy develop a sisterly friendship that resembles that of Devon and Simone. The characters are packed with moral ambiguity, and many of them harbor secrets that could wreck their relationships.Dead to Meis especially poignant because it explores the many sides of grief and pain, something that’s lightly touched upon in Sirens but given less attention.
Fans who enjoyed the culty aspect ofSirensbut want more of a thriller tone need to turn on Disney+’sThe Clearing. The show follows a woman named Amy Beaufort/Freya Heywood (Julia Savage) who must face her past life in order to stop more children from getting taken into the new-age cult run by a woman leader.
The group inThe Clearingis fictional but inspired by the Australian doomsday cult called The Family (viaTV Guide).
LikeSirens,The Clearingfocuses on the trauma of being involved with this kind of organization, but the latter cult has a much more insidious plot. They’re a doomsday cult rather than a cult of personality, and they target children instead of adults. This makesThe Clearinga much scarier watch thanSirens.
Unexpected cults are a recurring theme when it comes to shows like Netflix’sSirens, and the deeply underrated TV showThe Idolis no exception. The show follows a pop idol named Jocelyn, who has a nervous breakdown while on tour only to start a relationship with Tedros, a self-help guru who leads a new-age sex cult.The Idolfaced a lot of criticism for being “half-baked” and lewd However, the show has a lot to say about exploitation in the music industry and feels especially poignant after a certain scandal that will remain nameless.
The power abuse between Jocelyn and Tedros inThe Idolfeels remarkably similar to that of Michaela Kell and Simone inSirens, except the latter is mental instead of physical. That being said, Siren viewers should be warned thatThe Idolis significantly more explicit and graphic, showing sex, drug abuse, and violence onscreen. Children who might have watched Sirens alongside their parents should not watchThe Idolunder any circumstances. The 2023 show is uncomfortable to watch, even for adults, but it’s meant to be.
Like Netflix’sSirens, the mystery-thrillerNine Perfect Strangersexplores the commodification and disingenuousness of the wellness industry. They also show how culty it can get. The show follows nine characters who come together for a ten-day wellness retreat, only to realize that they’re in for a wild stay that will out their secrets and shatter their faith.
Nine Perfect Strangers’ version of Michaela Kell is the wealthy host, Masha Dmitrichenko (Nicole Kidman). The story was originally intended to be a miniseries; however, at the time ofSiren’s release, Hulu is putting out a second season of the show. The new episodes bring back Kidman but otherwise introduce a whole new group ofcharacters inNine Perfect Strangers.
