HBO’s 7-Part Psychological Thriller Series Is Now A Must-Binge Hit On Netflix

2 weeks ago 13

Published Mar 19, 2026, 4:35 PM EDT

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant who also covers Movies and Music. He's published over 2500 articles at SR, including weekly binge guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

One of HBO Max's most star-studded psychological thriller series is now a Netflix streaming hit, surging worldwide right now. Featuring standout performances by Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, Tom Pelphrey, and more, this 7-part true crime adaptation is worth watching this weekend on both Netflix and HBO Max as it finds new life on streaming three years after its premiere.

Released in 2023, HBO's Love & Death still holds up as a must-binge 7-part series. Even though it was added to Netflix months ago, it has just now become one of the most-watched shows on Netflix worldwide, seeing a surprising surge in viewership in recent days. Interestingly, this sudden popularity spike is not currently reflected on Netflix's U.S. charts at this time, but that could change as soon as Love & Death makes a streaming resurgence this weekend.

Love & Death Is Surging On Netflix's Worldwide Charts

Love & Death has skyrocketed in recent days on Netflix's worldwide streaming charts, ranking #1 in countries like Croatia, Poland, and Romania. Its streaming success is attributed to its strong 88% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Emmy and Golden Globes nominations, and its outstanding ensemble cast, which some might say is among the best of any 2020s HBO limited series.

Love & Death tells the stranger-than-fiction true story of Candy Montgomery, portrayed by Olsen, a seemingly normal mother and wife in suburban Texas who allegedly kills someone in her neighborhood with an axe. That someone, Betty Gore, played by Lily Rabe, was the wife of Allan Gore, played by Plemons, with whom Candy had an extramarital affair. The 7-part thriller series documents the alleged crime and the events leading up to it, combining elements of the true-crime story with a nuanced look at Candy's inner world and psyche.

Love & Death is one of many celebrated series created by David E. Kelley, one of the most successful showrunners working today, known for hit shows like Presumed Innocent and Big Little Lies. The news story sparked a media frenzy in 1980, and the series mostly takes place in the late 1970s. Kelley utilizes the remarkable and unsettling true crime story to create one of those naturally compelling series that keep viewers hooked from the very first episode.

Love & Death received some harsh feedback from critics, resulting in a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of just 63%. A common criticism was that the HBO version of this well-documented true crime story failed to add anything new or insightful and instead just rehashed the same old story. For those who aren't familiar with Candy Montgomery, this criticism won't matter all that much. Another potential reason why the reviews were arguably too negative was that Hulu had just released the 5-part dramatized series Candy on the exact same subject, starring Jessica Biel, the year before.

HBO's Love & Death Series Is Worth A Weekend Binge

Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen) holding up a placard for a mug shot in Love and Death

Despite its mixed critical reception, Love & Death is a sharp, memorable, and well-crafted HBO miniseries that is absolutely worth binge-watching on either HBO Max or Netflix this weekend. Even if you have seen the series already, it's worth a re-watch due to the quality and talents of its ensemble cast, which is by far and away the best aspect of this 7-part psychological thriller.

What's more, Love & Death doesn't sensationalize the true crime story, as it is already incredibly interesting and unbelievable, without any additional or exaggerated descriptions. At just 7 episodes, each between 45 and 59 minutes each, Love & Death is built for a weekend binge, although getting through its entire runtime in one night would be quite the streaming feat.

The best part about watching Love & Death in 2026 is that the tale is timelessly engaging and the performances still hold up. In retrospect, viewers may wonder why the Rotten Tomatoes score was so mixed and why the series didn't receive more Emmy nominations, considering the range of great performances. Whether you're streaming on HBO Max or Netflix, Love & Death is worth a weekend binge as it rises on global streaming charts.