Save the drama for your mama, as the saying goes. But what if the mamas are the ones causing the drama? Being a parent is tough enough — the soccer practice schedules, the PTA squabbles, the school lunches — without other moms dragging you down. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, overly employed, or something in between, everyone could use some extra bonding with their fellow diaper-bag shleppers … even if it puts you at risk of feeling like you’re in high school all over again.
If you’re looking to dive into the deep end of mom-group dynamics, look no further than these series and movies on Netflix. From new friends who tackle early parenthood’s toughest challenges together to longtime partners in crime (literally, in one case), these moms have one another’s backs — well, most of the time.
This seven-season sitcom follows five working moms who form an unusual but unbreakable bond after meeting at a prestigious “Mommy and Me” class in Toronto. Catherine Reitman (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jessalyn Wanlim (In My Dreams), Dani Kind (I Used to Be Funny), Enuka Okuma (The Sleepover), and Juno Rinaldi (It Feeds) star as women who are trying to “have it all” — careers, marriages, and kids (oh, my!). The series begins when Kate Foster (Reitman) returns to work at her PR firm after a nine-month maternity leave, only to find that things have changed dramatically in her absence. Meanwhile, her friends juggle an unexpected pregnancy, postpartum depression, and more. But maybe they can make it through … if they can stick together.
When three suburban moms, Beth (Christina Hendricks), Ruby (Retta), and Annie (Mae Whitman), fall on hard times, they rob a local grocery store — and succeed, bonding them forever. The problem? The store was a money-laundering front for a local gang. The gang’s leader, Rio (Manny Montana), drafts them into his criminal empire to repay the debt, and the trio of friends gets caught in a web of secrets and lies that could impact them and their families forever. Reno Wilson (The Cosby Show) and Matthew Lillard (Scream) co-star in this dramatic comedy created by Jenna Bans.
This Australian comedy stars Alison Bell (Laid) as Audrey, a new mom who’s struggling to keep it together as she raises her two-month-old. She’s lonely, her husband (Duncan Fellows) is overworked, and even the neighborhood drug dealer is getting sick of listening to her complaints. She joins a support group for new parents, where she makes some eccentric new friends who are facing their own challenges. Together, they tackle sleeplessness, relationship changes, and more through thick and thin in this two-season series that also stars Sacha Horler (Praise), Lucy Durack (A Perfect Pairing), Celeste Barber (Wellmania), and Noni Hazlehurst (A Place to Call Home).
Angela Bassett (Zero Day), Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), and Felicity Huffman (When They See Us) co-star as three longtime friends whose sons — played by Sinqua Walls (The Blackening), Jake Hoffman (The Irishman), and Jake Lacy (Christmas Inheritance) — move to New York City together. Feeling neglected on Mother’s Day, the trio sets out on a road trip to surprise their kids in the city, only to discover that their relationships are more complicated than they had imagined. Heidi Gardner (Hustle), Stephen Kunken (Still Alice), and Damian Young (I Care a Lot) co-star.
