Hollywood's White Wine Thrillers Exposed
· news
The White Wine Complex: What’s Behind Hollywood’s New Label?
In recent years, Hollywood has seen a surge in female-fronted thrillers that have captivated audiences and critics alike. This trend is often described as the “white wine thriller,” a label used by industry insiders to categorize this genre of programming.
The term “white wine thriller” originated with Peacock’s All Her Fault, a miniseries starring Sarah Snook as a mother investigating her missing son. The show’s success has led producers and studios to adopt the label, which they believe evokes a sense of sophistication and refinement. According to Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBC and Peacock, “White wine feels lighter, refreshing, enjoyable… It goes down easy.” However, this description perpetuates the notion that women’s stories are inherently more delicate and less complex than those of men.
The concept of white wine thrillers has become a catch-all for female-driven storytelling in television. Shows like Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, and The Undoing fit this mold, with their aspirational characters, low body counts, and focus on relationships rather than action. But what happens when the marketing gimmick wears off? Will these shows still be remembered for their substance or their surface-level appeal?
The emergence of red wine thrillers, exemplified by Hulu’s Furious, raises questions about the genre’s parameters. These shows often feature higher body counts and a grittier tone, but are they truly part of the same category? Or do they represent a shift towards more complex, nuanced storytelling that doesn’t rely on aspirational characters or marketing gimmicks?
The fact remains that programming for or about women is still spoken of in terms that would almost never be used for men. Male-skewing series don’t suffer such labels, and it’s time to reevaluate the way we categorize and market women’s stories in television. The white wine complex is a symptom of a larger problem, one that sees women’s stories as inherently less valuable or less complex than those of men.
As studios like Paramount begin to focus on women-driven programming, they should avoid perpetuating this label and its associated biases. Instead, they should prioritize creating complex, nuanced storytelling that doesn’t rely on marketing gimmicks or superficial labels. The future of female-fronted programming depends on it.
The white wine thriller is a label that reveals more about our industry’s priorities than anything else. It serves as a reminder that we still have a long way to go in terms of valuing and promoting women’s stories in television, and that true progress will require a fundamental shift in the way we approach storytelling.
Reader Views
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
The term "white wine thriller" is nothing more than a euphemism for "women's stories are less complex and more palatable." It's a condescending label that reinforces the notion that women's narratives need to be dumbed down to appeal to a wider audience. But what about shows like The Sinner or Killing Eve, which blend high-stakes action with female-centric storylines? Are they somehow not "white wine thrillers" because they don't conform to the aspirational character template? By pigeonholing these genres, we risk perpetuating the very stereotypes that these shows are trying to subvert.
- RJReporter J. Avery · staff reporter
The "white wine thriller" moniker is more than just a marketing gimmick - it's a symptom of the industry's broader issues with representation and complexity. As studios scramble to label female-driven stories as sophisticated and refined, they're inadvertently perpetuating the notion that women's narratives are inherently softer, less bloody, and less intellectually stimulating than men's. But what about shows like Sharp Objects or Big Little Lies' less polished cousin, The Sinner? Don't these darker, more intense dramas disrupt the "white wine" paradigm entirely?
- ADAnalyst D. Park · policy analyst
The labeling of white wine thrillers as inherently more "sophisticated" and "refined" oversimplifies the complexity of women's stories in television. But what about shows that subvert these expectations? The emergence of red wine thrillers challenges the notion that female-driven programming must adhere to a specific tone or style. Rather, it highlights the need for more nuanced categorization and consideration of genre-bending narratives that defy traditional labels.