Is the latest suburban thriller The Family Next Door similar to Big Little Lies? Details explored

The Family Next Door starts with Isabelle moving into a serene, idyllic cul-de-sac, no, not so fast, the words serene and idyllic do feel like they're weighed down, don't they? The Family Next Door establishes a tone of familiarity with a quietly unsettling quality, an effortless casualness that keeps the tension beneath at bay.

It's only a matter of moments before The Family Next Door informs us: here, nothing is ever straightforward, and not-so-naive small-town life does leave space for secrets with depth. The Family Next Door takes its sweet time, building your interest more than battering you with sheer suspense.

Setting & source material of The Family Next Door

The Family Next Door, an adaptation of Sally Hepworth's 2018 hit novel, shoots in Osprey Point, an oceanside Victorian suburb built on Pleasant Court, where a holiday arrival stranger stirs trouble behind perfection's veneer.

The script, directed by Sarah Scheller with input from Pip Karmel, Julia Moriarty, and Andrew Anastasios, brings Isabelle to the fore as a catalyst whose reason for being and backstory deepens the suspense under the sun-kissed setting.

Characters & performances

Teresa Palmer's Isabelle in The Family Next Door is calm on the surface but driven by something implicit, drawing characters and viewers alike.

Bella Heathcote's Ange treads that delicate balance of control and vulnerability, she's the realtor who believes Isabelle's not acting on an ulterior motive

Philippa Northeast's Essie is a delicate and understated coming-through of post-baby tension.

Supporting casts, by Ming-Zhu Hii as Fran, Jane Harber as Lulu, Catherine McClements, Bob Morley, and more, add subtle depth to the ensemble.

Visual and tonal identity

Visually, the series is overwhelmed by warm, saturated colors—the cinematography is like rolling through a retro 1980s Australian postcard, sun-baked and hazy.

The textures of the coast, sea foam, and blistering light mirror the emotional undertone of tension and simmering unease.

Pacing & mystery

The series pacing is unflinchingly measured, leaning into mood rather than momentum, whispering rather than screaming. Isabelle's arrival and the slow-building revelations trickle into character arcs that unspool at a languid pace.

Others grumble the pace is too slow, the reveals not coming quickly enough to cling to.

Big Little Lies similarities

Critics note that the series echoes Big Little Lies' thematic preoccupations with motherhood, marriage strife, and suburban suspense within a close-knit circle of women beneath a veneer of glittering niceness.

Both are domestic dramas that are character-driven and ensemble-heavy, wherein hidden histories surface in emotionally resonant revelations. And both bank on the quality of outstanding leading performances to supply those tensions.

Distinctive Points

But the series doesn't just copy Big Little Lies: its tone is still rooted in its coastal Australian origins, and its drama unfurls gradually instead of simmering over. Isabelle's single-minded mission and the tight geographic confines of the cul-de-sac set a different rhythm.

There's even an environmental sub-plot about a contentious development plan that revives the old suburban angst.

Overall, the series is a measured, visually beautiful suburban thriller with faint Big Little Lies overtones, but reinterpreted through fresh eyes. It's reflective, ensemble-driven, character-driven, and accountable to slow-burning suspense rather than outright drama.