Aahana Swrup
Liz Feldman’s ‘No Good Deed’ is a comedy-drama show that revolves around a couple who are desperate to sell their house but equally as picky about their future homeowners. Lydia and Paul Morgan, owners of a Spanish-style villa in a coveted Los Angeles neighborhood, are looking for the perfect buyers for their property. Three distinct couples—The Campbells, newly-married Carla and Dennis, and power couple Sarah and Leslie—make up the roster of prospective buyers. However, unbeknownst to the others, the Morgans are hiding an incriminating secret about the house’s past that may just end up returning to haunt them.
The Netflix show equips a dark comedy narrative to present an intriguing murder mystery ripe with entertaining relationship dynamics between a varied ensemble cast of characters. If this story about macabre secrets, complicated families, and competitive housing has captivated your attention, you must be on the lookout for shows similar to ‘No Good Deed.’
10. Palm Royale (2024-)
Loosely based on Juliet McDaniel’s novel ‘Mr. and Mrs. American Pie,’ ‘Palm Royale‘ is an underdog story about a woman’s dogged attempts to stake her claim in the neighborhood’s most exclusive club. Set in 1969’s Palm Beach, it follows the narrative of Maxine Simmons, a former pageant girl and the wife of the well-to-do D’ellacourt family, who is new in town with one simple goal in mind. She wants to join the elite Palm Royale Club, frequented by the town’s most affluent, including Evelyn Rollins and Dinah Donahue.
Even though Maxine’s humble beginnings and current financial failings make her aspirations near impossible, she refuses to let anything stand in the way of her dreams. Much like ‘No Good Deed,’ ‘Palm Royale’ also pitches a seemingly innocuous premise that somehow devolves into mayhem and murder. Therefore, this Abe Sylvia show is for you if you’re a fan of stories with relatively grounded settings and deranged humorous developments.
9. The Perfect Couple (2024)
Jenna Lamia’s ‘The Perfect Couple‘ is an adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel that follows a murder investigation scenario at a luxurious ocean-side wedding. Amelia Sacks is all set to have her perfect wedding with Benji Winbury, heir of an affluent Nantucket-based family. Nonetheless, the discovery of a peculiar murder throws a wrench in the matrimonial festivities. Peculiarly enough, as the detective investigates the scene, it reveals eerie similarities with the novels of Greer Garrison Winbury, Benji’s mother and a prolific murder mystery author. As the cover-up of a central murder becomes the driving narrative premise of ‘The Perfect Couple,’ it ends up sharing various parallels with ‘No Good Deed.’ If you’re a fan of bewildering puzzles made all the more confusing by complicated character dynamics at play, then you might enjoy this show.
8. Death and Other Details (2024)
Created by Mike Weiss and Heidi Cole McAdams, ‘Death and Other Details‘ is an exciting murder mystery set aboard an opulent ocean liner, which houses all the suspects in the crime as it sails the Mediterranean. Imogene Scott drives the narrative as the prime suspect after she’s caught in the wrong place at the wrong time—in a locked room with a dead body shortly after the murder. Once she becomes the prime suspect in the case, she has no choice but to team up with Rufus Cotesworth, a noteworthy detective whom Imogene despises. Therefore, it’s up to them to find the real culprit in a boat full of the powerful and wealthy.
‘Death and Other Details’ excels at the whodunnit narrative that ‘No Good Deed’ employs in its mysterious murder plot. Furthermore, it also features an ensemble of characters with complicated interpersonal dynamics that you’ll enjoy if you like the dysfunctionality of the Morgans and their house applicants.
7. Based on a True Story (2023-)
‘Based on a True Story’ is a dark comedy series whose central couple and their insane ventures may remind the audience of The Morgans. This Craig Rosenberg show revolves around Ava Bartlett, a real estate agent, and her husband, Nathan, a tennis player-turned-coach. The couple—who are expecting a new addition to their family—are struggling financially. As such, when true-crime fanatic Ava finds the opportunity to make some cash by starting a podcast about the local killings in her area. Inevitably, this ill-advised plan leads the expecting parents down similarly ill-advised roads.
This show’s main appeal resides in the compelling relationship between the central duo, who are consistently put in overwhelming scenarios. For the same reason, with its roots in crime and marital dynamics, ‘Based on a True Story’ will provide a familiar yet distinct tale that you’re bound to enjoy after ‘No Good Deed.’
6. The Curse (2023-)
Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s ‘The Curse‘ is a delightfully eccentric show that follows the life of a newlywed couple who are the latest subject of Dougie Schecter’s reality TV pitch. Whitney Siegel is an Instagram influencer who is looking to make a show about her efforts to turn a town in New Mexico into an eco-living community. However, as she embarks on making this aspiration come true, she and Dougie find themselves coaching her husband, Asher, through perfecting his non-existent on-screen charm. In the process, Asher somehow manages to get himself “cursed” by a teen in a supermarket parking lot.
‘The Curse’ depicts an exploration of insightful and relatable experiences presented through the lens of dark humor. Naturally, it possesses all the thematic building blocks that will attract ‘No Good Deed’ fans, especially ones who enjoy the relationship between the central protagonists.
5. The Afterparty (2022-2023)
Christopher Miller’s ‘The Afterparty‘ is another murder mystery show where the narrative adopts the unique perspective of the witnesses to the central crime. It’s set at an afterparty for a high school reunion, where a celebrity alumnus, Xavier, drops dead under mysterious circumstances. As a result, the party effectively turns into a crime scene, inviting a surprisingly unobservant detective to the scene. As each partygoer recites their version of the night, the perplexing crime becomes more and more enigmatic.
‘The Afterparty’ matches the energy of ‘No Good Deed’ through its entertaining group of central characters, who become unwitting pieces in an overarching puzzle. As such, if your favorite aspect of any good whodunnit is the gathering of suspects, you should give this show a try.
4. The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019)
Based on Charles Forsman’s eponymous comic mini-comics, Jonathan Entwistle’s ‘The End of the F***ing World‘ is a peculiar teen-adventure show that employs a brand of dark humor that fans of ‘No Good Deed’ will enjoy. The show centers around James and Alyssa, two 17-year-olds who feel like perpetual social outcasts. While James believes he’s a psychopath destined to turn into a killer, Alyssa is the rebellious teenager, hiding her real issues behind a veil of cold insolvency. As their paths cross, the latter pitches the idea of running away from their hometown and embarking on a daring road trip.
Naturally, James complies, brewing ideas of making Alyssa his first murder victim. Nonetheless, as the duo undertakes the journey ahead, the road throws wild complications their way—drastically diverting them from their initial plans. The central pair in this show offers a chaotic dynamic that is different from but reminiscent of Lydia and Paul’s relationship in ‘No Good Deeds.’ Add an unexpectedly troubling turn of events and family complications into the mix, and ‘The End of the F***ing World’ becomes your ideal next watch.
3. Dead to Me (2019-2022)
‘Dead to Me,’ another comedy-drama show by Liz Feldman, is the go-to choice if you enjoyed her creative direction in ‘No Good Deed.’ For this show, Feldman was inspired by her own life experiences to create a story about grief and friendship. Judy Hale and Jen Harding are at the story’s center as two individuals dealing with the recent loss of a loved one. Judy has been left heartbroken after her fiance’s death, while Jen is the grieving widow whose husband died in a hit-and-run. After the duo meet in a support group, they form an unlikely friendship despite their drastically different personalities. However, both women keep secrets from each other, which turns their lives upside down upon discovery.
‘Dead to Me’ and ‘No Good Deed’ share the evident brand of humor that Feldman brings to her projects. Yet, on a deeper level, both shows also find themselves operating under a similar mechanism of an unsuspecting crime that, ill-fittingly enough, unfolds in a suburban neighborhood. Thus, after the latter show, you’ll find similar vibes in ‘Dead to Me.’
2. Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
Created by Victor Fresco, ‘Santa Clarita Diet‘ is a unique blend of the horror and sitcom genres. The show revolves around Joel and Sheila Hammond, married Californian real estate agents. Their otherwise regular lives enter an unpredictable turn when Sheila becomes the undead and seemingly overnight starts craving the taste of human flesh. While the new change in her life brings ridiculously beneficial changes to Sheila’s life, it sends her husband and kids into a haphazard spiral to keep her secret and uncover the secrets behind her transformation.
‘Santa Clarita Diet’ forays into the entertaining blend of a mundane background with an outlandish premise—a combination that you might be inclined toward after ‘No Good Deed.’ Thus, if you’re looking for a tale of off-beat ventures undertaken by a lovable couple, then this show might be the best fit.
1. Bad Sisters (2022-)
‘Bad Sisters‘ is a dark comedy show created by Sharon Horgan that is based on the Flemish series ‘Clan.’ It follows Eva, Becka, Bibi, Grace, and Ursula—the titular Garvey sisters—and Dublin residents. Of the four sisters, Grace finds herself in an abusive marriage with John Paul, a controlling and manipulative man. Therefore, after his unexpected death, Grace and the rest of her sisters become the lead suspects in Thomas Claffin’s life insurance investigation. As the show unfolds, it equips a dual-timeline narrative, oscillating between Claffin’s investigation after John’s passing and the months preceding his death, which found the Garvey sisters plotting homicidal revenge.
The show makes a mystery out of the death of John Paul, maintaining ambiguity around the details of a possible crime that may or may not have involved the central sisters. As such, the Garveys retain clear parallels to the Morgans from ‘No Good Deed,’ whose storyline remains equally deceptive with a murder at its center. Consequently, ‘Bad Sisters’ remains an easy pick if you enjoy unraveling grueling mysteries in a troublingly light-hearted setting.
Read More: No Good Deed Ending, Explained
