Debapriya Bhattacharya
Created by James Wood, ‘Malice’ stars Jack Whitehall as Adam Healey, a male nanny who arrives on a Greek island estate owned by business tycoon Jamie Tanner (David Duchovny) to tutor the children of the latter’s guests, Jules (Christine Adams) and Damien (Raza Jaffrey). Cutting a charming figure among the wealthy, Adam quickly impresses everyone with his knowledge about the mythic heritage of the Greek islands as well as his openness to lending a hand in all sorts of work. However, despite his warm persona, it soon becomes evident that Adam is trying to harm Jamie for personal reasons. Every step that he takes seems to be to lay a trap for Jamie to walk into, while his family and friends are considered collateral in the plot. The psychological thriller on Amazon Prime Video paints a dark picture about welcoming a stranger into the home, even as it suggests that the people owning the home also have things to hide of their own. If you are looking for shows similar to ‘Malice,’ the following list will help you get started.
10. The Affair (2014-2019)
From the minds of Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi, ‘The Affair’ tells the story of a romantic entanglement between Noah Solloway (Dominic West), a school teacher from New York and a budding novelist, and Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson), a young waitress from Montauk, Long Island. Both Noah and Alison are married, he for twenty years and with four children, while she is trying to fix hers following a devastating tragedy. The narrative traces both their perspectives in the affair as it threatens to ruin their lives with their families, much like Adam Healey does for the Tanners in ‘Malice.’
9. The Undoing (2020)
Based on the novel ‘You Should Have Known’ by Jean Hanff Korelitz, ‘The Undoing’ by David E. Kelley revolves around affluent, married couple Grace (Nicole Kidman) and Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant) from New York City. Grace is a high-flying therapist, while Jonathan is a successful oncologist. Their son studies in an elite institution, and they seemingly have a perfect life. However, the image shatters when the family gets drawn into the investigation of a violent death. Desperate to protect her son, Grace turns on her husband instead of standing by him through the crisis. Similar to ‘Malice,’ the show highlights the lack of trustworthiness between people who are expected to be close to each other and how it ruins a family.
8. The Patient (2022)
Helmed by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, ‘The Patient’ centers around Dr. Alan Strauss (Steve Carell), a therapist who gets imprisoned by serial killer Sam Fortner (Domhnall Gleeson). The latter has one demand: that Alan help him keep his homicidal tendencies under check. A scared Alan tries his best to come up with a solution while being scared out of his mind, trapped in his own home. The time he spends in captivity also gives him the opportunity to reflect on his own life and realize how his wife’s death has impacted the relationship he shares with his son. Like ‘Malice,’ the appearance of a sinister outsider unravels the life of an established professional.
7. The Stranger (2020)
Adapted from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name, ‘The Stranger’ by Danny Brocklehurst, Mick Ford, Karla Crome, and Charlotte Coben is about Adam (Richard Armitage) and Connie Price (Dervla Kirwan), a happily married couple who share two children. Their perfect life is upended by the appearance of a stranger wearing a baseball cap, who approaches Adam and tells him about his wife faking an earlier pregnancy. This tears the couple apart, and Connie goes missing soon afterward. Soon, the stranger’s connection with the family becomes clear, as she continues to spin her web, much like Adam Healey in ‘Malice.’
6. You (2018-2025)
Based on Caroline Kepnes’ eponymous novel, ‘You’ is created by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble and follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a bookstore manager from New York City. When he comes across Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), an aspiring writer, he grows obsessed with her, both stalking her and getting into a relationship. The obsession takes a darker turn as Joe attempts to remove obstacles, which include human beings who stand in his way of getting Guinevere’s attention. Like Adam Healey in ‘Malice,’ Joe makes his way into someone’s life and manipulates it with an unhealthy fascination.
5. Dirty John (2018-2020)
Created by Alexandra Cunningham based on the eponymous podcast by Christopher Goffard, ‘Dirty John’ is an anthology series dealing with new stories every season, set in California. The first installment revolves around Debra Newell (Connie Britton), a successful woman living with her daughters, Terra (Julia Garner) and Veronica (Juno Temple), in Newport Beach. She is swept off her feet by Dr. John Meehan (Eric Bana), whom her daughters cannot trust and begin to investigate. This leads to uncovering buried secrets both about the stranger and John, and invites danger for the family. The introduction of a new person into the equation sets forth the horrible chain of events, similar to ‘Malice.’
4. Gypsy (2017)
From the mind of Lisa Rubin, ‘Gypsy’ stars Naomi Watts as Jean Holloway, a clinical psychologist based in New York City. While she has a well-established practice, Jean oversteps her professional boundaries by secretly developing intimate relationships with people in the lives of her patients. The resulting affairs blur the line between her professional ethics and personal fantasies, and have serious consequences for everyone involved. Similar to Adam Healey in ‘Malice,’ Jean places herself in convoluted situations of her own making.
3. The Girl Before (2021)
Adapted by J.P. Delaney based on his eponymous book, ‘The Girl Before’ chronicles the experience of Jane Cavendish (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a young single woman who gets the opportunity to rent a state-of-the-art minimalist home designed by Edward (David Oyelowo), an enigmatic architect. However, living in the place requires her to follow a number of rules. Jane accepts the condition and moves in, and initially falls in love with the place. However, when she discovers that the previous tenant, a girl who looked much like her, died in the place, she begins to fear that her life is heading in the same direction. The control that Edward exerts over Jane’s life and the sinister reason lurking behind it are reminiscent of ‘Malice.’
2. The Replacement (2017)
Helmed by Joe Ahearne, ‘The Replacement’ centers around Ellen Rooney (Morven Christie), a high-flying architect who gets pregnant with her first child. As she prepares to go on her maternity leave, Paula Reece (Vicky McClure) steps up to shoulder her work responsibilities during her absence. However, Ellen gets paranoid that Paula is trying to replace her in her professional and social circles permanently. She tries to convey her feelings, but finds it difficult to convince others. Similar to ‘Malice,’ the probable threat to Ellen looms large in plain sight.
1. Servant (2019-2023)
Created by Tony Basgallop alongside M. Night Shyamalan, ‘Servant’ revolves around Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell), a wealthy couple from Philadelphia who have lost their infant son and replaced him with a doll as part of their transitory object therapy. Following a psychotic break, Dorothy believes that her son is still alive and has been reborn in the doll. The couple even hires teenager Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free) as a live-in nanny for the doll. However, with Leanne’s arrival, strange occurrences begin to take place in the household. The plotline has many similarities with ‘Malice’ as both have the arrival of a stranger intersect with the incidents taking place that seek to shake the foundation of a fractured family, uncovering hidden truths.
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