Television series

The Afterparty

Name: The Afterparty
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Released: 2022
Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, John Cho, Paul Walter Hauser

A high school reunion afterparty ends with a murder. Each episode rewinds to retell the same night from a different suspect's perspective, complete with its own visual style and genre—noir, musical, action film, rom-com, anime. It's a clever structure in service of genuine character comedy, where the formatting matches how each person sees themselves.

TVMaze rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love whodunits that get sillier with every retelling, where the same party is replayed through a new narrator's eyes and a new genre each time.

Skip it if you want a straight procedural with steady stakes, since the rotating structure keeps the mystery loose and the jokes arrive in bursts rather than a single through-line.

What it asks of you: Episodes run about half an hour and the pace hangs on small details, so you'll need to track who said what across several retellings of one night.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Only Murders in the Building2021

Three misfits investigate a murder in their apartment building with the same whodunit DNA and ensemble chemistry. Hulu's answer to prestige comedy-mystery, equally funny and genuinely involving.

But It wants to be cozy-mystery television, which means it can feel slight when the laughs don't land. Seasons after the first lose some focus.

Knives Out2019

A sprawling family-secrets murder mystery that actually *is* fun to watch, with a detective untangling increasingly absurd versions of the same events. Same DNA as The Afterparty—multiple perspectives, sharp ensemble, genuine delight in the puzzle.

But It's very pleased with itself. Some viewers find the cuteness exhausting, and the mystery is less about surprise than satisfaction.

Russian Doll2019

A woman caught in a loop, reliving the same night repeatedly. Like The Afterparty, it uses the premise to explore character through repetition, mixing dark comedy with real emotional weight, genre shifts and all.

But The second season abandons the hook entirely and becomes something stranger and more demanding. The first season's bleakness can be heavy.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Afterparty

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Bringing Up Baby1938

Both understand that character *is* comedy: the humor comes from watching how different kinds of people respond to the same pressure. The Afterparty just remixes the visuals to match.

A screwball comedy where a chaotic woman and a buttoned-up paleontologist spiral through a night of escalating absurdity. The same comedic engine—watch how personality and circumstance collide—but expressed through pace and dialogue instead of production design.

But It's eighty-five years old, moves at silent-film speed, and assumes you know screwball conventions. Modern audiences often find it exhausting rather than funny.

Poker Face2023

Each episode is a different murder mystery with a different genre feel and different cast, all connected by one protagonist. It's anthology structure as a feature, not a gimmick—genuinely inventive storytelling.

But Standalone episodes mean no recurring ensemble warmth. Some are stronger than others, and it can feel repetitive if you binge too fast.

Community2009

A misfit study group solves mysteries and parodies genres every few episodes. The same DNA of ensemble bonding mixed with format experimentation, though played broader and with more heart.

But It's much longer and loses its way in later seasons. The early episodes are best, and the tone can be aggressively zany.

Murder on the Orient Express2017

Agatha Christie's classic adapted with visual flair and a stellar ensemble cast. A locked-room mystery built on character rather than shock, with everyone getting a moment to shine.

But It's a remake of a famous adaptation, and this version prioritizes spectacle over intimacy. Some find it overstuffed.

Barry2018

A hitman in Los Angeles enrolled in acting class. Tonal shifts between dark crime drama and comedy-of-manners, with a central character constantly presenting false versions of himself—a different angle on the same premise.

But It's much darker than The Afterparty, with real violence and despair underneath. The later seasons lose some of the comedy edge.

Clue1985

A murder mystery that embraced its board game origins and became pure genre pastiche with an exceptional ensemble. Multiple endings, multiple perspectives, genuine affection for both mystery and comedy.

But It's broad and sometimes clumsy. The humor lands or it doesn't, and some find it sitcom-simple.

See How They Run2022

A backstage murder mystery at a West End theatre in 1950s London. Playful, character-driven whodunit with real warmth among the suspects and a structure that honors the mystery.

But It's notably low-stakes and cozy, which means there's no real tension. Prefers charm over surprise.

242001

Both trust that seeing the same scenario from multiple angles (or in real time across 24 hours) will deepen character rather than bore you. They make structure do the work.

Each season is one day told in real time, 24 episodes of 42 minutes each. It pioneered the idea that structure itself could be a storytelling device, and like The Afterparty, it uses constraint to force character and plot into interesting shapes.

But It's a massive time commitment—hundreds of hours across seasons. Later seasons become repetitive, and the gimmick wears thin.