Netflix’s Darkest New Thriller Is Being Called the Next Bad Sisters

What happens when a streaming platform finds its answer to one of television’s most beloved recent hits — and makes it darker, sharper, and just as binge-worthy? That appears to be exactly what Netflix has pulled off with its Spanish-language crime thriller That Night, a six-part limited series that viewers and critics are increasingly comparing to Apple TV+’s acclaimed dark comedy Bad Sisters.

The show has emerged as a quiet streaming sensation in early 2026, drawing attention for its tonal intensity and tight episodic structure — qualities that have made it stand out in a crowded field of prestige crime drama. And for fans of the genre who felt Bad Sisters set a new bar for this kind of storytelling, That Night is being positioned as a worthy, if considerably darker, companion piece.

Here’s what we know about the show, why it’s resonating, and why it fits into a broader moment for international streaming content.

Why That Night Is Being Compared to Bad Sisters

Apple TV+ has built a reputation that extends well beyond its celebrated science fiction programming. Yes, Severance, Foundation, and Pluribus have made the streamer a go-to destination for ambitious sci-fi. But Apple has also delivered acclaimed work across other genres — from the cultural phenomenon of Ted Lasso to the quietly devastating limited series Black Bird, which remains one of the platform’s best-reviewed titles.

Bad Sisters sits comfortably in that tradition. A darkly comic Irish drama centered on a group of sisters who conspire to kill their abusive brother-in-law, it blended genuine humor with genuine menace in a way that felt fresh and distinctly character-driven. It became a benchmark for a specific kind of limited series storytelling: intimate in scale, morally complex, and deeply satisfying as a complete narrative.

That Night is drawing comparisons because it operates in similar territory — a contained story, a crime at its center, characters whose motivations are layered rather than simple — but strips away the dark comedy in favor of something more relentlessly tense. Where Bad Sisters leavened its darkness with warmth and wit, That Night apparently leans harder into the shadows.

What Makes a Six-Part Format Work So Well Right Now

The six-episode limited series has become one of the most reliable formats in prestige streaming, and for good reason. It’s long enough to develop characters and build genuine suspense, short enough to avoid the pacing problems that plague longer seasons. For crime thrillers especially, the format creates a kind of narrative pressure that benefits the storytelling — every episode has to earn its place.

That Night joins a growing list of international limited series that have broken through to English-language audiences on the strength of tight writing and strong performances rather than familiar faces or established IP. That’s a meaningful shift in how streaming audiences are consuming content, and Netflix has been one of the primary drivers of it.

The show’s Spanish-language origins also matter in this context. International crime drama has proven to be one of the most reliable categories for subtitled streaming content, with audiences who once might have avoided foreign-language programming now actively seeking it out.

The Streaming Landscape That Gave This Show Its Moment

It’s worth stepping back and looking at the broader picture. Both Netflix and Apple TV+ have invested heavily in the limited series format as a way to attract and retain subscribers. The model works because it creates a defined event — a show you can finish in a weekend, that has a clear ending, that rewards the time you put into it.

Apple TV+ has demonstrated that a streamer doesn’t need to win every genre to build a loyal audience — it just needs to be excellent in the categories it chooses to compete in. Netflix, with its vastly larger content library, has often struggled to make individual titles feel like must-watch events. When something like That Night breaks through, it suggests the platform is getting better at curating genuine prestige content rather than simply producing volume.

Why International Crime Thrillers Keep Finding Their Audience

There’s a reason the comparison to Bad Sisters resonates beyond surface-level genre similarity. Both shows reflect a broader truth about what streaming audiences respond to: stories that feel specific to a place and culture, told with confidence, that don’t soften their edges for a presumed global audience.

Bad Sisters was deeply Irish in its sensibility. The humor, the family dynamics, the particular texture of its setting — all of it felt earned rather than manufactured. The best international crime drama tends to work the same way. The specificity is the point. It’s what separates a show that feels genuinely transporting from one that could have been made anywhere.

If That Night is earning its comparisons, it’s likely because it has that same quality — a story that could only have come from where it came from, told in a way that doesn’t apologize for what it is.

What to Watch Next If You’re Already Hooked

For viewers who have already made their way through That Night and are looking for what to watch next, the comparison to Bad Sisters is the most useful starting point. If you haven’t seen Apple TV+’s series, that’s the obvious recommendation. Black Bird is worth your time as well — a slower, more procedural crime drama that is no less gripping for its restraint.

Beyond Apple TV+, the international crime thriller category on Netflix itself has produced consistent highlights in recent years. The six-episode format remains one of the most reliable guides to quality — short enough to signal that the creators had a specific story to tell, and enough episodes to tell it properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is That Night on Netflix?
That Night is a six-part Spanish-language crime thriller on Netflix that has been described as a darker counterpart to Apple TV+’s acclaimed limited series Bad Sisters.

How does That Night compare to Bad Sisters?
Both shows are limited series centered on crime with morally complex characters, but That Night is described as considerably darker in tone, whereas Bad Sisters blended its tension with dark comedy.

How many episodes does That Night have?
The series consists of six episodes, following the compact limited series format that has become popular for prestige crime dramas on streaming platforms.

What other shows has Apple TV+ produced that are similar?
Apple TV+ has released Bad Sisters and Black Bird as well-reviewed limited series in the crime drama space, alongside its celebrated sci-fi programming including Severance, Foundation, and Pluribus.

Is That Night in Spanish with subtitles?
The series is a Spanish-language production, which would mean subtitles for English-speaking audiences, though specific subtitle and dubbing options have not been confirmed in available reporting.

When did That Night begin generating attention as a streaming hit?
The series emerged as a notable streaming success in March 2026, according to reporting from Collider published on March 19, 2026.