Domestic thrillers became incredibly popular in the 2010s across books, films, and TV shows. In 2012, Gillian Flynn’s novel Gone Girl revitalized the genre by showing that seemingly ordinary couples could be just as terrifying as traditional criminals. David Fincher turned Gone Girl into a 2014 movie starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, and Pike received an Academy Award nomination for playing Amy Dunne – a complex and captivating antiheroine who many viewers rooted for.
As a huge TV fan, I remember when Big Little Lies first hit HBO in 2017 – it really felt like a game-changer. Based on the popular Liane Moriarty book, the show totally pulled me in with its twisty mystery about these seemingly perfect moms and a shocking murder they were all linked to.
The series was a hit with viewers, critics, and award shows, proving that shows focused on women could also be high-quality television. Originally planned as a one-time limited series, its success led HBO to order a second season, and a third season of Big Little Lies is now planned to begin filming this fall.
While the popularity of domestic thrillers has decreased in recent years, they’re still finding an audience, as demonstrated by the success of Peacock’s All Her Fault. This series, which premiered in November 2025 and is based on Andrea Mara’s novel, starts with a shocking event: Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook), a well-to-do mother, goes to collect her son Milo (Duke McCloud) from a playdate, only to discover the host has no idea who he is.
Now that Milo is officially considered kidnapped, Marissa and her husband Peter (Jake Lacy) are frantically searching for him while their marriage and family life fall apart. Dakota Fanning delivers what might be her strongest performance yet as Jenny Kaminski, a fellow mother who’s dealing with her own personal struggles and becomes Marissa’s source of support.
When it first launched, All Her Fault became Peacock’s most popular original series ever, breaking streaming records. It continues to hold that title. The show recently earned seven nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, including recognition for its series format and performances by its lead actresses, Snook and Fanning. Combining elements of thrillers like Gone Girl and character-driven dramas like Big Little Lies, All Her Fault‘s widespread success isn’t surprising.
All Her Fault’s Gone Girl-Inspired Twists Set It Apart From Big Little Lies Imitators
There’s a lot of similarity between All Her Fault and Big Little Lies: both stories center on wealthy mothers involved in a terrible crime that reveals hidden truths about themselves and their families. However, it’s unfair to simply label All Her Fault as a copycat – there are many books like Big Little Lies, but this one offers something unique.
Unlike many similar shows that build around solving one central crime, All Her Fault takes a major turn halfway through—similar to the plot twist in Gone Girl. This shift transforms the show from a straightforward mystery into a dark and suspenseful psychological thriller. The Irvines soon realize the greatest danger doesn’t come from outsiders, but from someone within their own family.
What makes Marissa such an interesting character is that she’s not simply a copy of Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. In some ways, she’s more like Nick Dunne—the husband in that story. Although Marissa is far more likable than Amy, she shares Amy’s ability to be cold and calculating, which really shines through in the surprising conclusion of All Her Fault.
Interestingly, All Her Fault is better than Big Little Lies. The character Marissa is far more troubled and complicated than anyone in the Monterey Five. With a premise of ‘All these nice people… killing each other,’ it’s a story Amy Dunne would definitely appreciate.
2026-07-19 18:38