10 Shows Like Under a Dark Sun You Must See

Originally titled ‘Qui sème le vent,’ Nils-Antoine Sambuc’s ‘Under a Dark Sun’ tells the story of Alba Mazier (Ava Baya), a young mother who is employed as a picker on a flower farm in Provence. She finds herself in the middle of an investigation when Arnaud Lasserre (Thibault de Montalembert), the family patriarch who owns the farm, dies under mysterious circumstances. While facing the accusations, she discovers that she is the daughter of the late patriarch and stands to inherit a quarter of his estate. The crime thriller drama pits family members against each other in the face of a classic whodunnit mystery. If the Netflix series has you intrigued, here is a list of other shows similar to ‘Under a Dark Sun’ that you will definitely enjoy.

10. One of Us Is Lying (2021-2022)

Developed by Erica Saleh from Karen M. McManus’ eponymous novel, ‘One of Us Is Lying’ centers around five high school students attending detention. Among them, Simon Kelleher (Mark McKenna) dies from a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. Known for creating an online gossip group to snitch on his classmates, Simon’s death leaves almost all students with motives for murder. As the search for the real killer continues, the group in detention gets together to solve the mystery themselves. Like ‘Under a Dark Sun,’ the death that sets the ball rolling is unexpected, but clearly not unthinkable to many.

9. Animal Kingdom (2016-2022)

Jonathan Lisco’s ‘Animal Kingdom’ is inspired by the Pettingill crime family in Australia and the 2010 movie of the same name. It stars Finn Cole as Joshua Cody, a young man who goes to live with his estranged grandmother Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin) following the death of his mother. He soon faces the fact that the matriarch and her three sons are involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including armed robberies. If Joshua has to survive, he needs to come to terms with and stand as one with the family. The Codys are a violently dangerous family, much like the Lasserres in ‘Under a Dark Sun.’

8. Bloodline (2015-2017)

From the minds of Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman, ‘Bloodline’ revolves around the Rayburn family, who are considered a pillar of the community in the Florida Keys. As Robert (Sam Shepard) and Sally Rayburn (Sissy Spacek) celebrate their 45th anniversary with their children, their estranged eldest son Danny (Ben Mendelsohn) returns home to stay. Considered to be the black sheep of the family, Danny’s appearance causes tension within the household, throwing light on the dark secrets hidden beneath the pristine facade for years. Similar to ‘Under a Dark Sun,’ the conflict among family members leads to dangerous outcomes in ‘Bloodline.’

7. Burning Body (2023)

Inspired by real events that created a media frenzy in 2017, ‘Burning Body’ by Laura Sarmiento Pallarés depicts the events that follow the disappearance of Rosa’s husband, Pedro. Both are police officers for the Barcelona Urban Guard. While Rosa’s father initially believes Pedro has bailed on the rocky relationship, the public narrative takes a massive turn as a burned-down car with Pedro’s remains is found in Barcelona’s Foix reservoir. Rosa and her current lover, fellow police officer Alberto López, become suspects in a crime whose investigation explores toxic relationships, illicit affairs, and fatal consequences. Akin to ‘Under a Dark Sun,’ the suspect in an apparent murder is a member of the family of the deceased.

6. The Forest (2017)

‘The Forest’ by Delinda Jacobs follows the disappearance of a teenage girl, Jennifer Lenoir (Isis Guillaume), in a forest in the Ardennes, Belgium. As the police investigate the incident along with Jennifer’s teacher, Ève Mendel (Alexia Barlier), they uncover a vast web of unsettling secrets that paint multiple individuals as potential suspects. Originally titled ‘La forêt,’ the show dives into a close community surviving through lies and deceits, much like the Lasserre family in ‘Under a Dark Sun.’

5. Quicksand (2019)

Helmed by Pontus Edgren and Martina Håkansson, ‘Quicksand’ depicts the aftermath of a school shooting in Djursholm, Sweden. Maja Norberg gets arrested for murder while her former boyfriend is found dead at the scene. The investigation and trial that follow attempt to bring to light the reason behind the tragedy. Told from Maja’s perspective, the scenes are interspersed with her memories of events that led up to the shooting. Similar to Alba in ‘Under a Dark Sun,’ she forces the investigators to question the extent of her involvement in the event.

4. Deadwind (2018-2021)

Originally titled ‘Karppi,’ the Finnish series ‘Deadwind’ centers around Sofia Karppi (Pihla Viitala), a homicide detective and mother of two who returns to work after the accidental death of her husband. Partnered with rookie detective Sakari Nurmi (Lauri Tilkanen), the first case they come across concerns a missing woman. The investigation leads the detectives to the body of social affairs consultant Anna Bergdahl (Pamela Tola), who appears to have been murdered. As they begin to uncover buried secrets, Karppi and Sakari run the danger of their own lives being destroyed. Created by Rike Jokela, Jari Olavi Rantala, and Kirsi Porkka, the show becomes reminiscent of ‘Under a Dark Sun’ with the air of mystery surrounding the deceased and the probable suspects.

3. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2024-)

Based on Holly Jackson’s book of the same name, ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ by Poppy Cogan revolves around Pip Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers), who decides to look into a murder investigation from 5 years ago for her school project. When Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies) was killed, her boyfriend, Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), was charged with murder. However, Pip has her doubts about whether Sal is actually guilty of the crime. Like Alba in ‘Under a Dark Sun,’ Sal faces the accusation because of his relationship with the deceased.

2. Stay Close (2021)

Adapted from the eponymous novel by Harlan Coben, ‘Stay Close’ centers around three individuals living separate lives in the fictional suburb of Livingstone. Megan Pierce (Cush Jumbo) is a happily married mother of three, Ray Levine (Richard Armitage) is a former documentary photographer who currently works as a paparazzo-for-hire, and Michael Broome (James Nesbitt) is a detective obsessed with an old case where a man disappeared without a trace. When a second man goes missing on the anniversary of the first disappearance, Broome locks in on the case. However, as the investigation proceeds, buried truths come to light, interconnecting the lives of the three in unforeseen ways. ‘Stay Close’ unravels the mysteries hidden deep within the small community, much like ‘Under a Dark Sun’ does for the Lasserres.

1. The Mess You Leave Behind (2020)

Originally titled ‘El desorden que dejas,’ Carlos Montero created ‘The Mess You Leave Behind’ based on his own eponymous novel. The narrative is split into two timelines following high school teachers Raquel Valero (Inma Cuesta) and Elvira Ferreiro Martínez (Bárbara Lennie). Raquelk arrives at the village high school of Galicia as Elvira’s replacement after she dies of mysterious circumstances. As Raquel finds herself caught up in the aftermath of the death and obsessed with finding out what happened to her predecessor, the hostility she is met with makes her fear for her own life. The fast-paced thriller shares many plot points similar to those of ‘Under a Dark Sun,’ as both shows revolve around untimely deaths in an environment filled with secrets and mistrust.