Dead to Me [1] simply hits the spot when it comes to dark comedies [2]. Led by two stirring performances from Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate [3], the Netflix series packages dry humour [4] and plot twists with a story about grief [5] and female friendship. It's not hard to binge your way through the show, either. Dead to Me comes in 30-minute episodes that pass by quickly as you cling onto cliffhanger after cliffhanger [6]. If you recently zipped your way through the latest season [7], fret not. To fill that Judy-and-Jen-shaped hole in your heart, we've gathered a compilation of darkly funny TV shows and movies to add to your queue next. Take a look ahead to see our favourite recommendations!
Grey's Anatomy
Not going to lie, Judy and Jen's dark and twisty friendship is very reminiscent of Meredith and Cristina's on Grey's Anatomy [8]. The everlasting medical drama has had its fair share of plot twists and weepy moments as well, though you won't see much murder on it.
Watch Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. [9]
Catfight
Similar to Dead to Me, Catfight pinpoints the tensions in female friendships. The film underlines the twisted relationship between two college friends, Veronica (Sandra Oh [10]), a wealthy housewife, and Ashley (Anne Heche), a struggling artist. After a particularly violent fight, things turn a 180 for these two women.
Watch Catfight on Netflix. [11]
Weeds
Jen might know the feeling of doing whatever she can to support her kids. Weeds' Nancy is a suburban widow and mother who starts dealing pot to keep up with her family's lifestyle after her husband dies.
Watch Weeds on Netflix. [12]
The Good Place
In Dead to Me, Judy and Jen grapple with doing ethical things after committing various crimes. The four humans in Michael Schur's witty comedy navigate ethics [13] as well, although in a broader sense of the word as they better themselves. Both shows are warm and funny, but definitely have a bite to them.
Watch The Good Place on Netflix. [14]
I Am Not Okay With This
The talented Sophia Lillis [15] leads I Am Not Okay With This [16], Netflix's series based on Charles Forsman's comic book of the same name. While navigating a family tragedy (much like Jen), her character Syd discovers that she has superpowers.
Watch I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix. [17]
Young Adult
Applegate and Cardellini play some of the most complicated women that you'll see onscreen. In the darkly funny Young Adult, Charlize Theron [18], likewise, portrays a messy and vulnerable female writer who returns to her hometown after her ex announces that his wife just had a baby.
Watch Young Adult on Netflix. [19]
Orange Is the New Black
We don't know if Judy and Jen will ever spend time behind bars for their crimes, but a jail plot might just share the wit of Netflix's Orange Is the New Black [20]. The series follows the misadventures of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) as she forms bonds with fellow inmates at the women's prison where she's incarcerated.
Watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix. [21]
Russian Doll
Russian Doll [22] has a witty and dark vibe [23] that's very much like that of Dead to Me. Natasha Lyonne plays Nadia, a woman who finds herself living her 36th birthday over and over again — only to die each time.
Watch Russian Doll on Netflix. [24]
After Life
As Jen navigates her late husband's death in Dead to Me, Tony (Ricky Gervais) tries to make sense of things after his wife passes away in After Life [25]. He takes on a rough persona to push away the people in his life, but the Judies in his life are determined to help him.
Watch After Life on Netflix. [26]
Living With Yourself
What's better than Paul Rudd [27] in a show? Two Paul Rudds! In Living With Yourself, a depressed and uninspired man undergoes a sketchy procedure that makes an exact clone of himself [28], who ends up charming his wife and colleagues. Like Dead to Me, the series strikes that delicate balance between darkness, humour, and heart. It's also quite bingeable, coming in 30-minute episodes.
Watch Living With Yourself on Netflix. [29]
Wild Oats
As Judy and Jen keep secrets between themselves, Eva (Shirley MacLaine) and Maddie (Jessica Lange) pull off a bit of a heist themselves. When Eva learns that her husband's insurance accidentally gave her too much money, she and her friend head off to the holiday of their dreams.
Watch Wild Oats on Netflix. [30]
Workin' Moms
One of the things that bonds Judy and Jen is how much they genuinely care for the kids on the show. On the witty Canadian show Workin' Moms, four mothers grapple with the challenges of being career women with children.
Watch Workin' Moms on Netflix. [31]
Grace and Frankie
Leaning more into humour than dark twists, Grace and Frankie [32] features, like Dead to Me, two witty and deeply developed female leads. The titular characters strike up an unlikely friendship after their husbands come out of the closet and make plans to marry.
Watch Grace and Frankie on Netflix. [33]
You
On the flip side, if you're more into the twisted side of Dead to Me, check out You. You's Joe (Penn Badgley [34]) has Jen's dry humour, but he carries much more murderous tendencies as he hunts down the people in his love interest's life [35] and harbors secrets beneath his bookstore.
Watch You on Netflix. [36]
New Girl
New Girl [37] isn't quite as dark as Dead to Me, but the similarities between Judy Hale and Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel [38]) run deep (besides their bangs). Upbeat and sweet, Jess navigates a new chapter in her life with her apartment full of guys. While there's no manslaughter or money laundering, New Girl offers plenty of drama to keep you coming back.
Watch New Girl on Netflix. [39]
Good Girls
If you're looking for a funny and heartfelt show [40] with an exciting twist, Good Girls [41] is it. Much like Judy and Jen, three suburban moms enter a life of crime and do whatever it takes to care for their families.
Watch Good Girls on Netflix. [42]
GLOW
If you love a witty comedy that really dives into female friendships, check out GLOW [43]. The series, which stars Betty Gilpin and Alison Brie [44], follows a troupe of novice female wrestlers who train rigorously to make their scrappy TV show work.
Watch GLOW on Netflix. [45]
Wine Country
Wine Country [46] is a note sweeter than Dead to Me, but Amy Poehler [47]'s directorial debut also explores the fun and messiness between friends. It follows a group of women as they celebrate one of their own's 50th birthday in the beautiful Napa Valley. However, the weekend getaway isn't always rosy when tensions flare.
Watch Wine Country on Netflix. [48]