Debapriya Bhattacharya
Created by Amanda Adolfsson, ‘Barracuda Queens’ chronicles the adventures of Lollo Millkvist (Alva Bratt), Klara Rapp (Tindra Monsen), Frida Rapp (Sandra Zubovic), and Mia Thorstensson (Tea Stjärne), four privileged teenagers from Djursholm, Sweden. Naming their group after the beach where they party, they face trouble one day when the bills come due. In a Hail Mary attempt to preserve their expensive lifestyle, they try to rob their new neighbor Amina Kahlil’s (Sarah Gustafsson) house, but miserably fail. Luckily for them, Amina decides to join the gang rather than calling the cops.
Together, the five girls get involved in a series of burglaries in their high-end neighborhood, while maintaining the appearance of cheerful students in public. They use the opportunity to get back at the boys who wrong them during the day, while also pushing back against societal pressures and stereotypes. The Swedish drama on Netflix craftily merges young-adult drama with the thrill of heists; if it has managed to capture your attention, here are some more similar shows like ‘Barracuda Queens’ that you may consider diving into next.
10. The Wilds (2020-2022)
‘The Wilds’ by Sarah Streicher tells the story of eight teenage girls from different backgrounds who find themselves on a deserted island after their plane en route to Hawaii crashes in the middle of the ocean. They come closer to each other while attempting to settle into their new lives as castaways, unaware that their fate is part of an elaborate and sinister design. Much like ‘Barracuda Queens,’ the show concerns young girls working with each other to make it in the world, even though the stakes are significantly higher this time around.
9. Betty (2020-2021)
Crystal Moselle created ‘Betty’ based on her feature film ‘Skate Kitchen,’ which in turn was based on her short ‘That One Day.’ The series follows a group of five girls, Janay (Dede Lovelace), Honeybear (Kabrina Adams), Kirt (Nina Moran), Indigo (Ajani Russell), and Camille (Rachelle Vinberg), who try to pave their own way to the very top of the male-dominated world of skateboarding. In addition to the strong bonds between the girls being similar to what is seen in ‘Barracuda Queens,’ ‘Betty’ also introduces the element of crime, with Indigo being a low-level weed dealer from a wealthy family.
8. Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)
Marc Cherry’s ‘Desperate Housewives’ revolves around the four titular characters, Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria). Living with their families on Wisteria Lane, they engage in questionable affairs and relationships, all the while supporting each other. The show mirrors ‘Barracuda Queens’ in championing a group of women working together to take control of their own destiny, although in a different stage of their lives.
7. Sky Rojo (2021-2023)
From the minds of Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato, ‘Sky Rojo’ is about three sex workers, Coral (Verónica Sánchez), Wendy (Lali Espósito), and Gina (Yany Prado), who are on the run from their pimp, Romeo (Asier Etxeandia). Uncertain of their survival every waking moment, they face many dangers on their path and overcome them by realizing that they are stronger together. The group of women making it through with their wits and each other is similar to how the teenage girls manage to flirt with danger in ‘Barracuda Queens.’
6. Snabba Cash (2021-)
Based on the ‘Stockholm Noir’ novel trilogy by Jens Jacob Lapidus, ‘Snabba Cash’ shares the experiences of Leya (Evin Ahmad), founder of an artificial intelligence firm that is in dire need of funding. Unable to come up with an alternative, she is forced to seek help from her brother-in-law Ravy (Dada Fungula Bozela), a drug dealer who becomes a partner in the company. The outside appearance of the sophisticated AI firm hiding the secret of being funded by money from the trafficking of illegal drugs in the Oskar Söderlund and Jesper Ganslandt creation is similar to how a veil of innocence is worn by the schoolgirls engaging in burglary in ‘Barracuda Queens.’
5. Trinkets (2019-2020)
Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer, and Kirsten Smith came up with ‘Trinkets’ based on the latter’s eponymous novel. It revolves around three teenage girls, Elodie Davis (Brianna Hildebrand), Moe Truax (Kiana Madeira), and Tabitha Foster (Quintessa Swindell), who get to know each other at a Shoplifters Anonymous meeting. Despite their unique individual personalities, they bond over their shared habit of shoplifting and keep their friendship secret at school. With time, they find support in each other as they face growing challenges in the world around them. While less serious than a burglary, ‘Trinkets’ and ‘Barracuda Queens’ both feature a group of schoolgirls going around stealing stuff.
4. Big Little Lies (2017-2026)
Based on the eponymous novel by Liane Moriarty, David E. Kelley’s ‘Big Little Lies’ tells the story of five affluent women, Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz), and Renata Klein (Laura Dern), who become involved in a homicide investigation. The seemingly perfect lives of the mothers soon peel off as the fractured relationships come to light. The secret lives of the mothers call to mind those of the young girls in ‘Barracuda Queens.
3. Weeds (2005-2012)
Jenji Kohan’s ‘Weeds’ is set around Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), a young suburban widow who decides to grow and sell marijuana after the sudden demise of her husband leaves her family under crushing debts. While she enjoys the support of her brother-in-law, Andy (Justin Kirk), and City Councilman Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon) in her endeavor, she is forced to keep it a secret from her nosy neighbor Celia (Elizabeth Perkins). The double life led by Nancy is much like what the teenagers engaging in heists live in ‘Barracuda Queens.’
2. Claws (2017-2022)
Created by Eliot Laurence, ‘Claws’ chronicles the exploits of five manicurists at the Nail Artisans salon of Manatee County, Florida. Owner Desna Simms (Niecy Nash) and her team, comprising Polly Marks (Carrie Preston), Annalise Zayas (Judy Reyes), Virginia Loc (Karrueche Tran), and Jennifer Husser (Jenn Lyon), get involved in the money laundering business through a neighboring pain clinic, and eventually expand to form their own empire. Much like the girls in ‘Barracuda Queens,’ the women in ‘Claws’ solidify their position in the underworld not just for money and thrill but also to leave their mark in a male-dominated world.
1. Good Girls (2018-2021)
‘Good Girls’ by Jenna Bans is set in a Michigan suburb and tells the story of three mothers, Elizabeth Boland (Christina Hendricks), Ruby Hill (Retta), and Annie Marks (Mae Whitman), facing financial troubles. In a last-ditch effort to pay their bills, they decide to rob the local supermarket. Though they manage to pull it off, the store manager recognizes one of them and attracts the attention of the gang leader who uses the business to launder counterfeit money.
On top of their mounting family crises, the three women soon find themselves caught in the middle of multiple heists and secrets. Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Good Girls’ and ‘Barracuda Queens,’ as both feature groups of women who enter the world of crime in a desperate bid to get out of debt. While their initial attempts bear slightly different results, they manage to get recognized and find themselves entangled in further lies, deceit, and criminal activities.
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