Everything to know about spicy Netflix thriller The Hunting Wives

If you're looking for a summer binge filled with seduction, scandal, and shotguns, Netflix’s The Hunting Wives delivers in spades.

Based on May Cobb’s bestselling 2021 novel, this eight-part series offers a sun-drenched, steamy descent into obsession, privilege, and murder in small-town Texas.

The show opens with a bloodied young woman bolting through the woods- yes, there’s a murder mystery, but this is far more than your average whodunnit.

Malin Åkerman is the standout, playing Southern socialite Margo with a 'twangy accent and bedroom eyes' that no one, not even the show's protagonist, can ignore. 'The tawdry fun works largely because of Akerman, who seems to be having an absolute ball.'

At the heart of the series is Sophie (Brittany Snow), who relocates from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to a small town in Texas with her husband, Graham (Evan Jonigkeit), an architect working for oil baron Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney).

Sophie left behind a once-envy-worthy career in political PR and finds herself bored, isolated, and craving more than just quiet suburbia. Enter Margo, and within minutes of meeting Sophie in a bathroom, Margo is topless. Sophie quickly becomes enamored with her and is swept into her exclusive, chaos-loving circle of friends.

The show doesn’t shy away from its Southern setting or the tensions it brings. Sophie, a Northeasterner, is immediately put off when she realizes she’s attending an NRA fundraiser hosted by her husband’s new boss. Still, she can’t resist the allure of Margo and her clique- even as danger looms.

The soapy series flirts with red-state-blue-state conflict, and the gun ownership, church-going, and backroom affairs give the drama a uniquely American edge.

Jed Banks, played by Dermot Mulroney, is a fifth-generation oilman and the husband of Margo. He’s a charming ladies’ man with political aspirations and a seemingly open approach to his marriage. That’s just the beginning of the tangled web Sophie finds herself in.

Other notable characters include Chrissy Metz as Starr, a single mother and devout Christian who struggles to be accepted by the Hunting Wives, despite her daughter dating the reverend’s son. Starr is kept at arm’s length by the group, adding more friction to the already volatile social dynamics.

Where to watch?

All eight episodes of The Hunting Wives are streaming now on Netflix US, and is hoped to be brought to Netflix in the UK and Ireland soon.

Who’s in the cast?

• Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect) as Sophie
• Malin Åkerman (27 Dresses) as Margo
• Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) as Jed
• Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) as Starr
• Jaime Ray Newman (Dopesick) as Callie
• Katie Lowes (Scandal) as Jill
• Evan Jonigkeit (Sweetbitter) as Graham

Is it based on a book?

Yes, the series is adapted from May Cobb’s bestselling novel of the same name, published in 2021. While the show shifts Sophie’s origin from Chicago (in the book) to Boston, it remains largely faithful to the original’s seductive, dangerous tone.

Is it based on a true story?

No- though it might feel eerily familiar in its portrayal of secrets lurking behind suburban perfection, The Hunting Wives is entirely fictional.