My Wife And I Started The Hunting Wives For The Murder Mystery, But We're Staying For The Soapy Culture Wars (And Raunchiness)

(Image credit: Netflix)

There have been a lot of great shows on the 2025 TV schedule so far, but few, if any, come close to the sheer ridiculousness of The Hunting Wives. My wife and I recently started the new Netflix series, which is being called “utterly ridiculous” by critics (and rightfully so) because we were enticed by the whole “murder mystery” element of the series, but now we’re staying for the soapy culture wars, raunchy situations, and some of the most insane characters I’ve seen on the small screen all year.

If you’ve been on the fence about starting The Hunting Wives because you think it’s just a normal Netflix drama about murder in the Lone Star State, throw those preconceptions out the window and start watching this over-the-top exploration of politics, romance, and trauma.

Don’t worry, I won’t be spoiling anything big…

Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow on The Hunting Wives — (Image credit: Netflix)

There's A Big Murder Mystery Teased In The First Scene, But Things Take A Wild Turn From There

When I first pressed play on The Hunting Wives, I hadn’t watched the show’s trailer, hadn’t read into the premise too much outside of the brief description on Netflix, and pretty much had no idea what to expect other than that there was a murder of some sort. Boy, I totally misjudged this show.

Sure, someone does get murdered in the middle of the woods in the opening sequence, and knowing that one of the characters will get killed in brutal fashion hangs over the entirety of the first episode, but the show takes a wild turn from there. Instead of being a super-serious, restrained, and formulaic drama about big personalities (don’t worry, they’re there) and vicious crimes, The Hunting Wives turns into something wild, something fierce, and so much fun to watch.

Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow in The Hunting Wives. — (Image credit: Lionsgate)

Between The Culture Wars, Sexual Escapades, And Crime, There's A Lot Going On

Let me tell you something: The Hunting Wives takes the most risque moments from those sexually explicit movies on Netflix and turns them up a few notches. The first episode has so much nudity, so much sex, and a certain scene involving a main character and one of her best friend’s sons that I’m afraid to type out in full detail in fear of getting shut down. Fan of over-the-top belt buckles being removed in moments of passion? Down for wild sexual escapades? All about culture wars involving Texas-sized personalities and quiet and mysterious northerners? This show has it all.

The Hunting Wives cast — (Image credit: Netflix)

This Could Very Well Be The Most Absurd Show On Netflix (And TV In 2025)

Like I said earlier, there’s been a lot of great TV shows so far this year, and there have been nearly as many absurd programs on the best streaming services and various traditional channels. However, The Hunting Wives could very well take the prize of being the most ridiculous show you can watch with a Netflix subscription or any other.

At times, it feels like a crime drama, while at others, it has certain elements of soap operas, soft-core pornography, and parody. I know, I know, this sounds like a big and messy mix-match of genres and tones, but it oddly works. I can’t wait to see where this goes…

Every episode of Netflix’s latest book-to-screen adaptation is streaming right now, so now that you’re finished reading this, go check it out!

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.