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| Netflix’s Big Mistakes Sparks Fresh Obsession With Crime-Comedy Chaos — Here Are 14 Shows That Match Its Unhinged Energy. (Credits: Netflix) |
Netflix’s Big Mistakes wastes no time throwing viewers into a mess of poor decisions, worse luck, and two siblings who frankly shouldn’t be trusted with anything more serious than a grocery list. Dan Levy’s Nicky, a priest with an oddly sharp tongue, and Taylor Ortega’s Morgan, a walking bundle of unresolved issues, stumble into organised crime via a theft gone spectacularly wrong.
What follows is less “mastermind criminals” and more “how are they still alive?” — and audiences are eating it up. The series leans hard into that chaotic middle ground where desperation meets dark humour, and somehow keeps escalating. Blackmail, crime bosses, accidental wins — the pair fail upward in a way that feels both ridiculous and oddly believable.
Created by Dan Levy and Rachel Sennott, the show taps into a familiar but addictive formula: ordinary people making spectacularly bad decisions and then doubling down.
Naturally, viewers are now hunting for shows that deliver the same unpredictable ride.
ICYMI: Where Was Big Mistakes Filmed?
If You Loved Big Mistakes on Netflix, These 14 Crime Comedy Series Deliver the Same Wild Energy
1. Good Girls (2018–2021)
If Big Mistakes is about stumbling into crime, Good Girls is about walking straight into it with eyes wide open — and still being shocked by the consequences.
Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman play suburban mums who think robbing a supermarket will solve their problems. It does, briefly.
Then it really doesn’t. The tone balances domestic stress with escalating criminal chaos, making every decision feel like the wrong one, yet somehow the only one available.
2. Search Party (2016–2022)
Search Party thrives on the idea that self-absorbed people should absolutely not be solving mysteries. Alia Shawkat leads a group of friends whose attempt to find a missing acquaintance spirals into something far darker and far messier.
It shares Big Mistakes’ knack for turning questionable judgement into full-blown disaster, all wrapped in biting satire.
3. The Flight Attendant (2020–2022)
Kaley Cuoco delivers chaos with a side of panic in The Flight Attendant. One night, one bad decision, and suddenly there’s a body involved.
The show mirrors Big Mistakes in how quickly things escalate from “this is awkward” to “this is life-altering,” with a protagonist constantly trying to stay one step ahead of consequences she barely understands.
4. Barry (2018–2023)
In Barry, Bill Hader plays a hitman who’d rather be an actor — which is already a red flag.
The series blends dark comedy with existential crisis, showing what happens when someone tries to escape a criminal life but keeps getting pulled back in. Like Nicky and Morgan, Barry is wildly unqualified to manage the mess he’s in.
5. Dead to Me (2019–2022)
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini anchor a story built on secrets, lies, and increasingly complicated consequences.
Dead to Me shares that same “one bad choice leads to ten worse ones” energy, with emotional stakes layered under sharp, often brutal humour.
6. The Outlaws (2021– )
A group of strangers on community service find a bag of cash and immediately make the worst possible decision.
The Outlaws, led by Stephen Merchant’s creation, thrives on unlikely criminals forced into situations far beyond their depth — a direct thematic cousin to Big Mistakes.
7. Bad Sisters (2022–2024)
Dark, sharp, and quietly savage, Bad Sisters follows siblings entangled in a suspicious death that refuses to stay buried.
Sharon Horgan and ensemble bring a mix of loyalty and desperation, echoing the sibling dynamic at the heart of Big Mistakes — except here, the chaos is a bit more calculated.
8. Weeds (2005–2012)
Before “normal people in crime” became a trend, Weeds was already there.
Mary-Louise Parker’s suburban mum turns to illegal business to survive, only to find herself deeper in trouble with each passing season. It’s the long-form version of “this seemed like a good idea at the time.”
9. The Afterparty (2022–2023)
A murder mystery told through wildly different perspectives, The Afterparty thrives on confusion, contradictions, and characters who are all slightly suspicious.
Tiffany Haddish leads the investigation, but like Big Mistakes, the real focus is on how messy people make even the simplest situations.
10. Fargo (2014–2024)
Fargo proves that ordinary people and crime are a disastrous combination. Each season introduces new characters who get pulled into violent, bizarre situations.
The Coen-inspired storytelling ensures that nothing goes as planned — a theme Big Mistakes executes with a more comedic twist.
11. Based on a True Story (2023–2024)
Kaley Cuoco returns, this time as part of a couple trying to monetise a serial killer story through a podcast.
It’s a satire of true crime obsession, but also a cautionary tale about getting too close to danger. Like Nicky and Morgan, they’re clearly out of their depth — and still pushing forward.
12. Why Women Kill (2019–2021)
Created by Marc Cherry, this anthology explores how seemingly ordinary lives can unravel into deadly decisions.
Multiple timelines, different characters, same underlying truth: people are far more capable of chaos than they’d like to admit.
13. Only Murders in the Building (2021– )
True crime meets amateur sleuthing in a way that feels almost too casual for the stakes involved.
Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez investigate murders while recording a podcast, proving once again that curiosity and poor judgement often go hand in hand.
14. Killing Eve (2018–2022)
While more polished and stylish, Killing Eve still taps into that unpredictable energy. Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer play a cat-and-mouse game that constantly flips expectations, showing how obsession can drag even the most competent people into chaos.
Fans and netizens, meanwhile, are split in the best way possible. Some are praising Big Mistakes for its unapologetic absurdity, calling it “a masterclass in failing successfully,” while others admit the second-hand stress is very real.
There’s also a growing appreciation for Dan Levy’s offbeat performance, with viewers noting how the show leans into awkward humour without losing momentum.
Not everyone is convinced, of course — a few critics argue the chaos borders on excessive — but even they admit it’s difficult to look away.
What’s clear is this: audiences are in the mood for messy, morally questionable characters who keep digging deeper holes for themselves.
If Big Mistakes has you hooked, this list is less a recommendation and more a warning — you’re about to fall into a very entertaining spiral. Which one are you starting next, and more importantly, which one stressed you out the most?