Netflix Scores a Critical Knockout With ‘The Survivors’—A Murder Mystery So Good It’s Got a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Rating

Move over big-budget thrillers. Netflix just dropped a haunting murder-mystery series that's gripping audiences and critics alike. And it's already boasting a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Survivors, based on the best-selling novel by Australian author Jane Harper, quietly crept onto Netflix and immediately made waves in the entertainment community.

Set in a coastal town, the series boasts slow-burning tension and deep emotional undercurrents, earning it a reputation as one of the platform's best original releases in recent memory.

Let's break down why The Survivors is suddenly the murder mystery everyone's talking about and why you should be adding it to your watchlist ASAP.

A Rotten Tomatoes Rarity: Perfect Score, No Notes

A 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes is nearly unheard of for genre shows. Especially murder mysteries that typically divide critics with twist-heavy plots. But The Survivors delivers something different.

Critics are raving about its restraint, complexity, and emotional maturity. There are no jump scares and no over-the-top villains. Just quiet devastation, raw performances, and a mystery that refuses to give you easy answers.

As The Guardian puts it, "This is a mystery so intense you'll watch through your fingers."

The Plot: A Coastal Town's Wounds Reopen

Set in the fictional seaside town of Evelyn Bay, The Survivors follows Kieran Elliott (played by The Rings of Power's Charlie Vickers), who returns home years after a traumatic storm claimed several lives, including his brother's.

Kieran's homecoming is meant to bring closure. Instead, he finds himself at the center of yet another tragedy: the murder of a young woman whose body washes up near the town's caves. What unfolds is a layered, atmospheric mystery that peels back the long-held secrets of a community still bleeding from the past.

It's not a show with flashy twists or dramatic confrontations. It's about how people live with what they've lost and how tightly a small community can cling to silence. That's what makes The Survivors so gripping. You're not just solving a mystery; you're watching people try to hold their lives together while everything around them threatens to crack.

A Slow-Burn That Pulls You In

The Survivors moves at a steady, quiet pace, allowing the story to unfold naturally through conversations, silence, and subtle details that build tension over time.

It might take an episode or two to settle in, but that slower rhythm works. It gives you space to get to know the characters and sit with the weight of what they're carrying. When the key moments land, they feel earned, not forced.

Real Performances, Unforgettable Setting

Charlie Vickers does a solid job leading the series, but it’s the cast as a whole that makes the town feel lived-in. No big monologues or dramatic meltdowns, just people trying to get through the day while holding a burden shrowded in silence. It feels honest, which makes the story hit harder.

And then there’s the setting. The Survivors was filmed on Tasmania’s coast, creating a look thats cold, raw, and isolated in the best possible way. The ocean's presence lingers in the background: loud when things go quiet, still when things get tense. The grey skies, the rocky cliffs, the empty roads— it all adds to the feeling that something’s just... off.

Fans Call It "Brilliant"—And Netflix Might Have Its Next Word-of-Mouth Hit

Viewer reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. On social media, fans are calling the show "brilliant," "a masterpiece," and "the best mystery in years." And unlike some series that fizzle after a strong pilot, The Survivors stays sharp until the very end.

With its Rotten Tomatoes score holding steady at 100% and the buzz continuously building, this could become Netflix's next sleeper hit: a quiet phenomenon fueled by rave reviews and word of mouth rather than splashy marketing.

Will There Be a Season 2?

For now, The Survivors is a self-contained limited series. And frankly, that might be for the best. The story concludes with an emotional resolution and thematic depth that doesn't beg for a sequel.

But if Jane Harper fans have their way, we could see more adaptations of her work down the line.

Final Word

If you're tired of predictable crime dramas and want a story that tests your intelligence and tugs at your heart, The Survivors is more than worth your time.

This subtle, devastating gem proves that sometimes, the loudest stories are the ones told in whispers. Stream it now on Netflix. Just don't be surprised if you end up watching the whole thing in one sitting.'

Did you enjoy this? Save it, share it, and spread the word—your next favorite mystery might be someone else's too.