Netflix’s new steamy drama series Obsession stars Richard Armitage as a surgeon who starts an affair with his son’s fiancée Anna (played by Charlie Murphy). However, when their romance blossoms into an obsession, it begins to impact all areas of their lives.
Reviews for the new show have been pretty mixed so far, but the series has been proving popular on the streaming chart. Despite its low Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s comfortably sitting in Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched series.
So whether you loved it and are looking to watch some similar steamy shows, or you loathed it and are instead hoping to explore other series in the genre, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a list of five shows that you might enjoy next, as well as sharing where you can stream them now.
Sex/Life
Where to watch: Netflix
Sex/Life was one of the first raunchy dramas to hit the streaming platform, paving the way for more genre-based shows on Netflix. The first season focuses on Billie Mann (played by Sarah Shahi) who lives in suburban Connecticut with her family. Feeling unfulfilled by her family life, she begins to fantasize about her ex-boyfriend Brad Simon (Adam Demos). While it leans less into the thriller elements of Obsession, the show explores intimacy and romance in many of the same ways. There are two seasons in total of the show, with the second being announced as the final outing soon after it aired.
Anatomy of a Scandal
Where to watch: Netflix
British drama Anatomy of a Scandal shares some tonal similarities with Obsession as a tense limited series. Based on the novel by Sarah Vaughan, the Sienna Miller-led drama follows the story of Sophie Whitehouse whose husband is embroiled in a political and emotional scandal. The six-part drama also stars Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend, and Naomi Scott.
The Affair
Where to watch: Showtime/Now
The Affair set the groundwork for a complex, intimate, and tense take on an extramarital relationship. The series ran for five seasons from 2014 until 2019 on Showtime and starred Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, and Joshua Jackson. Exploring the emotional effects of the relationship, each episode told the events from different perspectives. Several time jumps and dramatic twists take place during the series too, which heads in some interesting directions as it continues into the later seasons.
Tell Me Lies
Where to watch: Hulu/Disney Plus
Tell Me Lies tackles the complications an intense physical attraction can cause in this 10-part drama. Set across eight years of their lives, the series focuses on Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco from when they first met at college. Things get increasingly tense as their tumultuous and intoxicating relationship begins to impact all aspects of their own lives as well as those around them. Created by Meaghan Oppenheimer and starring Grace Van Patten and Jackson White, the show is well-rated too with an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Normal People
Where to watch: (Hulu/BBC)
On the surface, Normal People doesn’t share many similarities to erotic thriller Obsession. However, its artful handling of intimacy and sex is one of the best explorations in recent years. The show is based on Sally Rooney’s beloved novel of the same name and tells the story of Marianne and Connell from when they first met as teenagers up until the beginning of their adult lives. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal lead the cast of the tender and moving adaptation.
For what else to stream, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies.
