If You Love Netflix’s ‘The Residence’, Then Here Are 10 Shows You Should Also Watch

The Residence is a fun Knives Out-inspired murder mystery on Netflix that features a gender-swapped version of Benoit Blanc, played in the movies by Daniel Craig, called Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba). Like Blanc, she’s investigating a murder. But rather a murder that occurs in a lavish mansion with the family and staff as suspects, it’s in the White House during a state dinner with members from the Australian government present as well.

A classic whodunnit, all eight episodes of The Residence are available to stream, making the show perfect for binging. Once done, what to watch next? There are plenty of other similar shows that anyone who likes The Residence will also enjoy.

10

‘Based on a True Story’ (2023–)

Created by Craig Rosenberg

Ava Bartlett (Kaley Cuoco) is obsessed with true crime, spending all her free time listening to podcasts and trying to figure out the culprits. When a real-life serial killer is in her midst and turns out to be someone she knows, however, the situation gets murky. Rather than turn him in, Ava and her husband Nathan (Chris Messina) decide to do the unthinkable: offer him a deal. They won’t call the authorities if he agrees to do an anonymous true-crime podcast with them about his actions and motivations, and stop the killing. He agrees, but Ava and Nathan will soon realize that negotiating with a serial killer isn’t the brightest idea.

Based on a True Story has murder mystery elements to it, though early in the first season, viewers discover they know who the killer is. In the second, however, there are several murders to investigate, reinvigorating Ava’s passion for true crime and the adrenaline rush it brings her. Both shows have a knack for making otherwise dramatic moments funny as well.

Based on a True Story

Release Date

June 8, 2023

Showrunner

Craig Rosenberg

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9

‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ (2024–)

Created by Poppy Cogan, Ruby Thomas, Et al.

Based on the Holly Jackson novel of the same name, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder could be viewed as a potential prequel to The Residence. The lead character Pip Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers) is just as determined and obsessed with solving crimes as Cupp is, and was when she was younger, based on the flashback episode. So much so, in fact, that Pip sets out to solve the murder of a local school girl, and turns it into a school project.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, one of the best teen shows on Netflix right now, features a younger cast with a high school setting. But it’s a whodunit as well, with a more serious tone as a mystery thriller for those who want something a bit more intense.

8

‘A Murder at the End of the World’ (2023)

Created by Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij

A Murder at the End of the World is far darker and more cerebral. But the psychological mystery thriller miniseries is yet another murder mystery that centers around a group of wealthy and elite people stuck in a remote estate when one of them is murdered. It’s up to Darby Hart (Emma Corrin), a talented young hacker and amateur detective with a similar outsider personality to Cupp, to try and figure out who killed her former flame.

The series takes viewers through the same misdirects as Darby looks into the events that led up to Bill’s (Harris Dickinson) untimely death. She deals with much darker, more sinister characters, all played by high-profile actors as well, including Brit Marling, Clive Owen, and Alice Braga. But for those who want a show where they can investigate and guess along with the lead, A Murder at the End of the World is a good next choice.

7

‘Murder, She Wrote’ (1984–1996)

Created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson, William Kink

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) might not be an actual detective. But like Cupp, her work is invaluable to the police force. As a successful mystery writer, her work and creative mind have given her a special intuition into the minds of killers and how to look at cases differently. Thus, when the police gravitate towards the most likely suspect, Jessica recognizes that there might be other aspects at play that lead to the real culprit.

She’s as talented as Cupp, both able to view situations in a unique way, and catch small details that others miss. With a dozen seasons of this multi-award-winning series to watch, it’s a great one to check out while waiting for the next new murder mystery show or movie.

6

‘The Perfect Couple’ (2024)

Created by Jenna Lamia

Just like The Residence, The Perfect Couple centers around a group of wealthy individuals attending a lavish event. When one person winds up murdered, an investigation begins, and no one is able to leave. The initial premise is similar to The Residence. Just like in that show, each person is interviewed separately to recall their version of events on the day and night leading up to the tragic murder. Each person is also wearing a figurative mask, hiding true details about themselves.

Similarly, everyone becomes a suspect throughout every episode of The Perfect Couple because each person seems to have had a different motive to kill the person in question. There’s no singular perceptive detective in this series. But a pair of detectives, Nikki (Donna Lynne Champlin) and Dan (Michael Beach), do the hard work, grow suspicious of each person at every turn, and finally solve the case by the end. Fans will love that in watching back, just like with The Residence, there were little clues throughout.

5

‘The Afterparty’ (2022–2023)

Created by Christopher Miller

For those who want something even lighter and more fun than The Residence, The Afterparty is a good watch. Tiffany Haddish plays Detective Danner, an ambitious detective investigating the death of a man at a high school reunion afterparty. Like in The Residence, no one is permitted to leave as she questions them one by one. As each person recalls their version of events and gives their alibis, viewers see reenactments in the same way they do in The Residence. But these are presented as different genres of storytelling, from a rom-com to a psychological thriller to an action movie. The second season follows the same theme with the setting of a lavish wedding and a murdered groom.

Danner has many similarities to Cupp, both with quirky personalities and who asks seemingly odd questions or uses unconventional methods. But both have a keen sense of observation and pick up on small details. The Afterparty is a refreshing option to watch after The Residence.

The Afterparty

Release Date

2022 – 2022

Showrunner

Christopher Miller

Directors

Christopher Miller

Writers

Christopher Miller

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4

‘Only Murders in the Building’ (2021–)

Created by Steve Martin, John Hoffman

This mystery comedy drama is one of the funniest whodunits on television right now. With four seasons under its belt, each one centers around a different murder, all coincidentally taking place in the swanky Arconia building where the three leads, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) reside. They aren’t detectives, but they fashion themselves as such. Since they are obsessed with true-crime podcasts, they believe they know the ins and outs of how to conduct an investigation. As it turns out, they are pretty good at it, too.

Only Murders in the Building kicks the comedy quotient up a few notches from The Residence, with an equally talented cast that includes different guest stars in every season. It’s a can’t-miss show, one of the best TV comedies based in NYC, and a perfect next watch for those who haven’t yet indulged.

3

‘Columbo’ (1968–1978)

Created by Richard Levinson, William Link

The preeminent whodunit series that inspired so many others, Peter Falk stars as the titular lieutenant detective in Columbo, who has a style very similar to that of Cupp. He’s extremely observant and often waits until the very last minute to reveal his findings, after the guilty party thinks they have gotten away with their crime.

The crime drama flips the script, however, in that the audience knows who the perpetrator is from the beginning, then watches as Columbo works his magic to come to that conclusion and prove it.

2

‘Poker Face’ (2023–)

Created by Rian Johnson

There’s a clever twist in Poker Face, created by Knives Out creator Rian Johnson, in that the protagonist, Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), has a very specific skill. She can look at a person and instantly tell if they’re lying. When she gets caught up in misdeeds and needs to go on the run, she ends up encountering a different murder case in every city and state she’s in, using her special gift to suss out who’s guilty. Inspired by the same inverted detective story format as Columbo, Poker Face earned Lyonne an Emmy nomination for her role.

She’s quirky in her own way and just as perceptive as Cupp. While Charlie isn’t technically a detective, she has a way of examining situations just like Cupp. The show deals with a different suspicious death in every episode, so it offers nice, compartmentalized stories that are more quickly digested and resolved than The Residence.

Poker Face

Release Date

January 26, 2023

Network

Peacock

1

‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’ (1989–2013)

Created by Clive Exton

Based on the stories of Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie, many of which have also been adapted into movies, this British mystery drama centers around the talented private investigator. Poirot inspired Rian Johnson’s character Benoit Blanc from the Knives Out franchise, who in turn also served as inspiration for Cupp. All three characters are similar in that they are eccentrics with a talent of keen observation.

In Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Hercule (David Suchet) investigates a different crime in each episode, usually a murder. With the stories adapted largely from Christie’s own writing, the series is captivating and fun. Once watching, it will become instantly evident how much the concept inspired The Residence.

Poirot

Release Date

January 8, 1989

Keep Reading: The 10 Best Murder Mystery Shows of All Time, Ranked