The series is about five sisters, who are grown-ups and find themselves in each other’s lives after a life-altering event. It has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and viewers alike. The series was adapted from the Belgian series. Clan Creator and star Sharon Horgan has revealed that she also took inspiration from her close-knit family to reimagine the series.

BAD SISTERS BASED ON TRUE STORIES OR A NOVEL

I have around a million questions about Bad Sister after reading the synopsis, though I suppose my first one is: why would a woman disguise herself as a nun and then hit on a teenager? While I will have to see the movie, I can’t help but feel that this fake-nun’s plan, whatever it is, is not very well thought out. It’s a good thing St. Adeline’s doesn’t exist, as I don’t trust their verification process.

Bad Sister seems to follow in the footsteps of past Lifetime thrillers about older women who seduce younger, impressionable men, resulting in some kind of dark twist. In fact, the network’s movie Dirty Teacher is about pretty much the same thing, if you were to swap out the nun for a teacher. The formula for this movie is: Dirty Teacher. The poor young man in this story needs to be careful: he could end up dead or framed as a murder suspect, which are both things that are not worth his having a frank nun.

But, it’s impossible, ‘Bad Sisters’ is not based on a true story. The television series is also not an adaptation from a book. Instead, the series is based on the Flemish series ‘Clan’ created by Malin-Sarah Gozin. The original series (titled ‘The Out-Laws’ in the UK) follows the lives of the Goethals sisters, who try to free their sister from her tyrannical husband, Jean-Claude “De Kloot” Delcorps. Although the settings and characters of the British version of the popular series are different, the storyline is the same as the original. Although there are not many details about the origins of the series, it is possible that the story was fabricated and is not based on actual events.

‘Bad Sisters’ shows the difficult and complex theme of domestic abuse. Grace Williams, Grace’s wife, is subject to domestic abuse by her husband. In order to counter patriarchal abuse, the story includes an aspect of female revenge. The same is represented in the story through the sisters’ quest to plot against and kill the abusive brother-in-law tormenting their sister. The narrative combines the best of thriller and dark comedy genres to create an engaging storytelling style.

The series’ core themes were the relatable and emotional themes of sisterhood, family, and unwavering love. Sharon Horgan, series creator, talked about the creation of the UK adaptation in an interview. Horgan stated that after she finished work on ‘Catastrophe,’ a series she created and wrote, she watched ‘Clan’ as a potential work to adapt. The show’s family dynamic and the bond between the sisters instantly caught the actress/writer’s attention.

Horgan told The Hollywood Reporter that she was drawn to the original story due to the dark undertones in the sister relationship. “I love the sisters in the original, that dynamic of a five-headed monster. I liked the idea of doing an hour and a thriller,” Horgan said. Hogan is from a large family so she likely got inspiration from her own experiences. Horgan stated that she was challenged to personalize the story and make it more relatable while adapting the source material.

Ultimately, ‘Bad Sisters’ is not based on a true story. The series is a most faithful adaptation of the Flemish series ‘Clan.’ Nonetheless, creator Sharon Horgan brings her own worldview and style of dark humor to the story of five sisters. The viewers will find the story relatable because of the themes of sisterhood, family, and brotherhood. And the murder plot will keep them interested.