Nine Perfect Strangers: A Review
Promo image from IMDb
**Trigger Warning: Nine Perfect Strangers contains depictions of grief, addiction, suicide ideation, trauma, and emotional manipulation. Viewer discretion is advised.**
In Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, nine emotionally frayed, wealthy city dwellers arrive at a remote wellness retreat called Tranquillum House, each seeking transformation. What begins as a luxurious escape quickly unravels into something far more unsettling.
The guests are told they have been “carefully selected” by the enigmatic and ethereal Masha, played with chilling precision by Nicole Kidman. Her presence is both divine and disquieting — like a ghost who never quite left the room.
The series, based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, is a slow-burning psychological thriller that simmers with tension and secrets. As the guests undergo increasingly unconventional therapies, they begin to question not only the methods but the motives behind them. Why were they chosen? What connects them, and what exactly is in those smoothies?
Nine Perfect Strangers: An Atmospheric Journey in Dread
The show’s atmosphere is lush and dreamlike, yet always tinged with dread. Every moment feels like it’s building toward something just out of reach. That sense of tension is what makes it so gripping.
From the very first episode, Nine Perfect Strangers casts a spell that’s difficult to shake. The setting is tranquil, but the silence feels staged — like the calm before a storm that never quite arrives.
The guests carry their traumas like ticking clocks, and the retreat seems to know exactly when each one will go off. There is a sense that something is always watching, just beyond the edge of the frame.
A Star-studded Cast of Hauntingly Brilliant Embodiment
Nicole Kidman’s Masha is the perfect embodiment of this unease. She glides through scenes like a specter — her voice soft but commanding, her gaze unreadable. Is she a healer, or something far more dangerous? Her presence alone makes you feel as though you have already agreed to something you do not remember signing.
With a star-studded cast including Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, and Regina Hall, Nine Perfect Strangers delivers a haunting blend of emotional vulnerability, spiritual manipulation, and the seductive danger of surrendering control.
Each therapy session feels like a ritual; each meal, a test. The show blurs the line between medicine and manipulation with unnerving ease. Just when you believe you’ve found your footing, the ground shifts beneath you. Still, no jump scare — only the slow, creeping dread of realization.
Nine Perfect Strangers Led Me Down a Dark Hallway of Psychological Tension
I was completely enthralled by Nine Perfect Strangers. It is the kind of show that lingers in your mind like a whisper in a dark hallway — unseen, but impossible to ignore. The psychological tension, the eerie serenity of the setting, and the slow reveal of each character’s truth kept me guessing and unsettled. It is a rare series that manages to be both beautiful and deeply disturbing.
The final episode ends on a cliffhanger, teasing the possibility of a new season with a new guru.
And honestly? I am ready to follow wherever this strange, shadowy path leads next. Nine Perfect Strangers is a masterclass in mood, mystery, and the quiet horror of not knowing who — or what — is truly in control.
Just one word of advice: If you ever find yourself at a wellness retreat that feels too perfect, read the fine print. You might be signing up for more than just a juice cleanse. Nine Perfect Strangers is a journey into the unknown — and I loved every eerie, twisted minute of it. Do not miss it.
Watch Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu.
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Karrie Wortner
Karrie Wortner (she/her) is a storyteller driven by wanderlust and a passion for life’s unscripted moments. She captures the richness of human experience through photography and writing, believing in the power of words and images to inspire and connect. A devoted wife and mother, she finds joy in shared traditions and everyday beauty. With a background in psychology and working toward a BFA in Writing and Applied Arts at UWGB, she contributes to The Teaching Press, The Quill, and Northern Lights. Her expertise in publishing and media helps her craft narratives that spark curiosity, foster understanding, and celebrate diverse perspectives.
Find more of her work in her portfolio, and follow her on LinkedIn.
