Forget Bridgerton, Florence Pugh's R-Rated Netflix Thriller Is Officially The Better Show

Published Oct 4, 2026, 3:45 PM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Bridgerton easily ranks among Netflix's best period offerings. However, a new period thriller has now premiered on the streaming service, and it is arguably even better than Bridgerton. Given how Bridgerton is not a thriller, comparing it with the new Netflix series might seem a little unfair. However, the new show does so much in its 7-episode runtime that it is hard not to tout as one of Netflix's best offerings. Based on John Steinbeck's 1952 novel of the same name, East of Eden premiered on Netflix on October 1, 2026. The show has been created by Zoe Kazan and boasts a star-studded cast led by Florence Pugh. It has premiered to almost unanimous acclaim from viewers and critics and currently boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 87%. Netflix's East of Eden is a 7-part miniseries. Owing to this, it delivers a perfectly well-rounded story in its short runtime. From the beginning to the end, it remains taut with its storytelling and never leaves a dull moment for viewers. While its format and limited source material does not allow it to have a long run like Bridgerton, it seemingly does enough in 7 episodes to leave its mark. Bridgerton's Great, But Netflix's East Of Eden Is Arguably A More Compelling Period Drama Netflix When it comes to Bridgerton, its primary appeal lies in its lighthearted escapism and fast episodic romance arcs. The show's core focus remains on regency courting and high-society gossip and romance. In its 4-season run, so far, Bridgerton has offered everything viewers expect from it without adopting a very serious or gritty tone in any of its chapters. East of Eden, however, is almost an anti-thesis of Bridgerton's bright and breezy romantic drama. It is also a lavish period piece, but it unfolds more as an immersive psychological thriller with incredibly high stakes. Only a few days after its premiere, East of Eden is already leading award season conversations. Florence Pugh, in particular, is earning immense acclaim from critics for her cold and commanding portrayal of Cathy Ames. Interestingly, the Netflix show does not even shy away from drifting away from its source material. Instead of delivering a linear tale about the exploration of good vs. evil, the series dives deep into complex themes surrounding inherited sin and family trauma. From a production standpoint alone, Netflix's East of Eden is far better than most shows on Netflix. It has been beautifully shot, which fully immerses viewers into its world from the very beginning. While Bridgerton will likely remain more mainstream and popular in the long run, East of Eden is one period drama viewers should not sleep on. East Of Eden's Miniseries Format Continues A Fascinating Netflix Trend It is becoming increasingly hard to not notice how the limited series format is becoming Netflix's biggest strength. More often than not, the risk of cancellation looms over new TV releases on Netflix. With the early promise of a show being a miniseries, Netflix almost guarantees that viewers will get a definitive beginning, middle, and end in six to ten episodes. This approach seems to favor East of Eden as well as it ensures the show delivers a worthy adaptation of the classic novel in just seven episodes without attempting to stretch its ideas or themes. Even top-tier actors like Florence Pugh are more willing to commit to one-season shows that tell a contained story instead of signing up for a multi-year deal. Similar to other hit miniseries on Netflix, like Baby Reindeer, Adoloscence, and Ripley, East of Eden also benefits from concentrating its budget into fewer episodes. This, in turn, ensures that it is almost as visually polished and styled as many big-screen projects. While even long-running shows like Bridgerton have worked well for Netflix, the streaming service's success rate with limited series highlights an intriguing trend. East of Eden 6/10 Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Cast Christopher Abbott Adam Trask This Netflix mini-series adapts John Steinbeck's iconic novel East of Eden, which is a multigenerational saga set in California's Salinas Valley, exploring themes of good and evil, free will, and human nature. It follows the intertwined lives of the Trask and Hamilton families, drawing parallels to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Directors Garth Davis Main Genre Drama Producers Jeb Stuart, Zoe Kazan, Florence Pugh Seasons 1 Bridgerton 7/10 Release Date 2020 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Set in Regency-era England, Bridgerton follows the family of the same name as they navigate London's marriage market, where each social season brings new romances, rivalries, scandals, and carefully arranged matches. Cast Luke Thompson, Ruth Gemmell, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, Polly Walker, Florence Hunt, Will Tilston, Julie Andrews, Bessie Carter, Jonathan Bailey, Jamie Beamish, Regé-Jean Page, Luke Newton, Yerin Ha, Adjoa Andoh, Hannah Dodd, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Madsen, Shelley Conn, Golda Rosheuvel, Harriet Cains, Martins Imhangbe, Emma Naomi, Ben Miller, Rupert Young, Molly McGlynn Directors Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson Main Genre Drama Producers Sarada McDermott Seasons 4