‘Twisty’ Dutch thriller about dinner party gone wrong soars up Netflix top 10

Ever been to a terrible dinner party?

This one might give yours a run for its money. Based on a 2004 bestseller by Saskia Noort, the new Dutch thriller The Perfect Lie centres around the fripperies of a supper club.

The Dinner Club involves extravagant, boozy evenings, where middle-aged couples let loose, or, according to the Netflix synopsis, ‘fully indulge in an extravagant and hedonistic lifestyle’. 

What that could mean can only be deduced by reading between the lines or tuning in – enough certainly are, since the show has shot up the Netflix top 10 ranking after its release this week. 

Karen (Loes Haverkort) moves with her family to Bergen, in North Holland, and soon becomes a regular fixture of the Dinner Club clique.

But the seven-parter isn’t just one long lark, because the first episode kicks off in the rubble of a fire that has torn through a luxury villa. 

Evert (Edwin Jonker), a staple of the tight-knit group, is dead and his family are fighting for survival. We soon learn how the hedonism of the Dinner Club party hides ‘distrust, deception and betrayal’ through a series of flashbacks.

The synopsis continues: ‘Karen soon discovers that their close friendship is held together by lies. Everyone has something to hide. Nothing is what it seems. 

‘So Karen sets out in search of the truth, but at what cost?’

The reception for The Perfect Lie has so far been promising, with ScreenRant naming it one of the best new shows to binge-watch on Netflix, noting some creative liberties taken with the source material, which improve the finished product.

The Guardian said in a brief write-up: ‘Big Little Lies feels like an obvious comparison, but even though the premise is familiar, it’s a slick and twisty take.’

Meanwhile, Heaven of Horror said that while the show can tread into ‘soapy’ waters, it will be an easy watch for fans of thrillers and murder mysteries – also known as Netflix’s bread and butter. 

The review said: ‘This Netflix series has a lot going for it in terms of interesting characters and drama that I’m sure plenty of viewers can relate to. 

‘The drama takes up too much runtime for my liking, but I also recognise that this is exactly what it’s built on. Give it a shot and see if The Perfect Lie is to your liking.’

What’s On Netflix praised the Netherlands arm of the streamer, writing: ‘The Netherlands has developed quite the reputation for pumping out crime series at an almost industrial rate… Its Dutch division has finally managed to outdo itself with The Perfect Lie.’

The review continued: ‘The Perfect Lie is already the best Dutch series I’ve seen this year. Not just on Netflix, either. It might even be one of the best Dutch series of the past five or ten years.’

The Perfect Lie is available to stream on Netflix.