7 thrilling shows to watch if you loved Netflix’s ‘The Dead Girls’

In Netflix's The Dead Girls, sisters Arcángela (Arcelia Ramírez) and Serafina (Paulina Gaitán) enter a brothel business that sets sail on murky waters. Women are coerced into sex work, authorities are bribed to turn a blind eye, and business thrives, until the sex workers begin to die under mysterious circumstances. When Serafina's lover, Simón (Alfonso Herrera), gets involved, things get even messier.

Toxic love, bloody revenge, and an eye-opening investigation merge in this crime thriller based on a true story and the novel Las muertas by Jorge Ibargüengoitia. Applauded for its nuanced mix of dark comedy and commentary on Mexican society, the Luis Estrada directorial takes fans into the heart of rural Mexico in the 1960s.

Fans who enjoyed the gritty narrative can check out other shows like Narcos (2015-2017) and Red Light (2020-2021).

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article about The Dead Girls belong to the writer.

---

Narcos, Red Light, and other shows for fans of Netflix's The Dead Girls

1) Narcos (2015-2017)

Narcos is a crime thriller (Image via Netflix)

Set in the heart of drug-dealing billionaire Pablo Escobar's turf, Narcos is a crime drama of epic proportions. Created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro, it explores Escobar's and later, the Cali Cartel's business underworld, where money, drugs, and mindless violence reign supreme. When American DEA Agents are sent to clean up the mess, the war of worlds heats up.

Gritty, raw, and intensely violent, Narcos is the perfect next watch for The Dead Girls fans. It explores the heart of a brutal business, its clash with law enforcement, and the tragic casualties that occur in the process. Bonus: Arcelia Ramírez, who plays Arcángela, plays Escobar's wife, Tata. Her moral complexity and tryst with power and violence in both shows are comparable.

Where to watch: Netflix

---

2) Red Light (2020-2021)

The three leading women in Red Light (Image via Prime Video)

The paths of three women: a brothel owner named Sylvia, an opera singer named Esther, and a detective named Evi, cross in the world of human trafficking, organized crime, and dangers far beyond their understanding. As their resilience is tested, secrets and lies become a form of currency, and the darkness of the human mind stands out.

Created by Wouter Bouvijn, this Dutch-Belgian thriller lies in the intersection of a riveting narrative and nuanced social commentary by placing women at the center of it all. For The Dead Girls fans, these themes will instantly resonate, pulling them into a similar world instantly. The lead actors, Carice Van Houten, Maaike Neuville, and Halina Reijn, stun with memorable performances.

Where to watch: Prime Video

---

3) A Thousand Blows (2024-present)

A story of power struggle (Image via Disney+)

An all-female crime syndicate headed by the enigmatic Mary Carr (Erin Doherty) goes up against other illegal forces, including the self-declared emperor of the bare-knuckle boxing world, and a Jamaican immigrant with dreams of becoming a lion tamer. They enter a battle of wits and strategy as the desire for power and money swells. The crime drama is created by Stephen Knight (Peaky Blinders).

The most enticing thing about The Dead Girls and A Thousand Blows is how Arcangela, Serafina, and Mary navigate the murky underworld of crime and violence. From rural Mexico in the 1960s to the aristocratic world of East London in the 1880s, these vastly different women navigate the throes of power and clash with equally daunting forces in intriguing ways.

Where to watch: Hulu

---

4) Past Lies (2024)

The show's Spanish title (Image via Disney+)

Clara Roquet and Júlia de Paz Solvas's Past Lies revolves around a group of forty-somethings whose ordinary lives are disrupted when the remains of the high school classmate, Mati, are found in Mallorca. 25 years ago, the group of friends (with Mati) vacationed there during a senior trip. What secrets are they hiding?

For The Dead Girls fans, here is another Spanish limited crime thriller series centered around women, their murky past, and secrets bubbling to the surface. Although this TV show moves away from the criminal underworld, its focus on the complexities of the human mind makes it thematically similar and a riveting watch. The show is based on Elia Barceló's novel.

Where to watch: Disney+

---

5) Harlots (2017-2019)

The cast of the period drama (Image via Hulu)

It is 1760s London, and Margaret Wells' (Samantha Morton) flourishing brothel faces the threatening rise of religious morality and police brutality. In a desperate attempt to keep herself and her women financially and socially afloat, she moves her business into the heart of a rival's turf, creating a power struggle for the ages.

Created by Alison Newman and Moira Buffini, and based on The Covent Garden Ladies by Hallie Rubenhold, this period drama show is perfect for The Dead Girls fans. For starters, it is set in a thrilling world of lies, betrayal, and power. Moreover, it is led by morally ambiguous women who aren't afraid to seek power, making for immersive TV.

Where to watch: Hulu

---

6) Heeramandi (2024-present)

The cast of Heeramandi (Image via Netflix)

In the wake of the Indian Independence movement and the harsh British colonial rule, the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore thrives with tawaifs, AKA courtesan artists who were forced into sex work after the end of the Mughal rule. Their personal lives intertwine with rising political strife in this Sanjay Leela Bhansali creation.

The Dead Girls fans who want more women-led stories, but under aesthetically and geographically different circumstances, will enjoy Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. It is a peek into a different culture, era, and society, but at its heart, the story of women whose motivations are ruled by their circumstances.

Where to watch: Netflix

---

7) The Crimson Petal and the White (2011)

William and Sugar on the show (Image via Prime Video)

The rich and clueless William Rackham (Chris O'Dowd) becomes enamored with a sex worker and writer named Sugar (Romola Garai), while being trapped in a loveless marriage with his mentally ill wife, Agnes. Against the backdrop of Victorian-era London, Sugar's struggle for recognition in a male-dominated society takes her on an ambitious journey.

Serafina's obsessive and toxic romance with Simón is the most explosive storyline on The Dead Girls. Sugar's entanglement with William enters the same gray territory, with her sharp wit and intense ambition fitting into his upper-class world. Both stories are about women fighting for agency and identity in a world of crime.

Where to watch: Prime Video/BBC 2

---

The Dead Girls fans can also check out The Deuce (2017-2019) and The Girlfriend Experience (2016-2021).

Edited by Pooja Kumar