After captivating audiences with its tense psychological drama and visuals in 2021, Nine Perfect Strangers is back—with a new cast, a new setting, and the same enigmatic leader. Based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel and led by Nicole Kidman, the hit series returns for a highly anticipated second season. Following its U.S. premiere on Hulu on May 21, 2025, Season 2 is now available on Prime Video internationally starting May 22, 2025.
This time, the story unfolds in the snow-covered peaks of the Austrian Alps, where nine new guests seek healing, unaware of the intense and unorthodox methods that await them. With whispers of micro-dosing, buried trauma, and mysterious connections, Nine Perfect Strangers promises to dive even deeper into the human psyche, one retreat at a time.
A Recap of Season 1
The first season of Nine Perfect Strangers introduced viewers to Tranquillum House, a luxurious wellness retreat nestled in a fictional part of California. Nine city-dwelling guests arrived seeking relief from grief, trauma, burnout, and emotional unrest. They were promised transformation, but what they received was far more complicated.
Led by the enigmatic and unsettling Masha Dmitrichenko (Nicole Kidman), the retreat slowly revealed its secrets. Among the most shocking was Masha’s covert use of psilocybin, a psychoactive drug, which she micro-dosed into the guests’ meals without their consent. Tensions escalated as hidden pasts were exposed, relationships fractured and reformed, and reality blurred into surreal introspection.
By the season’s end, the guests had undergone profound shifts. Masha was arrested, but not before experiencing a powerful hallucination of her late daughter. Meanwhile, Ben and Jessica took over Tranquillum House, Lars reunited with his partner and welcomed a child, and each character departed changed—if not entirely healed.
Season 1 Reception
When Nine Perfect Strangers premiered in August 2021, anticipation was high. With a star-studded cast, a bestselling novel as source material, and the creative team behind Big Little Lies, many expected another prestige TV hit. The reception was notably mixed.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series earned a 59% approval rating based on 111 critic reviews, with an average score of 6.1/10. The critical consensus described it as “a meandering mystery” that still managed to be “never less than watchable” thanks to its strong ensemble performances. Metacritic echoed the sentiment, giving the series a score of 54 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews.”
Critics pointed to issues in pacing and cohesion. Ben Travers of IndieWire called it a “disappointing limited series,” stating, “There’s nothing special here… the juice stirred into Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel… has been squeezed out of this languid, lost eight-episode drama.” Alison Herman of The Ringer noted its unfortunate timing, airing shortly after HBO’s The White Lotus, a show with a similar premise but sharper execution. She described Nine Perfect Strangers as “overstuffed and undercooked.”
Alexis Nedd of Mashable likened the show to a smoothie with unblended ingredients—individually appealing elements like a strong cast and striking visuals that never fully came together. In a more pointed critique, Rachel Cooke of New Statesman compared it to Big Little Lies, saying that “this time around, however, the glossy algorithm has failed to work.”
Not all reviews were harsh. Kevin E.G. Perry of The Independent acknowledged that while the script leaned into melodrama, the “stellar cast’s obvious chemistry” helped elevate it. And David Bianculli of NPR singled out Nicole Kidman’s performance as another compelling turn in her string of complex TV roles, despite the show’s ensemble focus.
What to Expect from Season 2
Season 2 of Nine Perfect Strangers takes the retreat to new heights—literally. Set in the serene but isolated Austrian Alps, the upcoming chapter introduces a fresh group of nine guests lured by the promise of personal transformation. Once again, Nicole Kidman reprises her role as Masha, the mysterious wellness guru whose unconventional methods—yes, micro-dosing is still on the menu—test the boundaries of healing, ethics, and control.
While cocreator David E. Kelley has remained tight-lipped about specific plot details, Hulu and Prime Video have teased that the new strangers are “connected in ways they could never imagine.” The Alpine setting adds a new dimension of isolation, beauty, and tension, perfect for a psychological drama where nothing is ever as it seems.
As with the first season, viewers can expect the characters to arrive with emotional baggage, face uncomfortable truths, and undergo mind-bending experiences as Masha guides—or manipulates—their path to recovery. And with a new cast and setting, Season 2 is designed to stand on its own while retaining the eerie tone and sharp commentary that made the first season a hit.
Meet the New Cast
While Nicole Kidman remains the constant thread as the elusive Masha Dmitrichenko, Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 welcomes an all-new ensemble cast, each bringing fresh energy and intrigue to the Alpine retreat.
Among the standout additions:
- Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians)
- Christine Baranski (The Gilded Age)
- Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek)
- Lena Olin (Hunters)
- Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus, Opus)
- Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Wolf Hall)
- Mark Strong (Dune: Prophecy)
- Aras Aydin (Runaway)
- Lucas Englander (The Day of the Jackal)
- King Princess, making her acting debut
- Liv Ullmann, adding legendary depth to the cast
- Dolly de Leon, known for her breakout role in Triangle of Sadness
This richly talented lineup promises a dynamic interplay of personalities and secrets, each guest bringing their own mystery to Masha’s unconventional sanctuary. With such diverse characters and top-tier performances, viewers can expect a gripping balance of emotional drama and psychological suspense.
Behind the Scenes & International Production
Though Nine Perfect Strangers was originally conceived as a limited series, its massive success led to a surprise renewal in June 2023, with Season 2 evolving into an anthology format. This second installment became an ambitious international production involving the United States, Germany, and Austria.
Filming began in January 2024, following the resolution of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and wrapped in June 2024. With Nicole Kidman’s schedule delayed due to other commitments, production adjusted accordingly, ultimately capturing the chilling beauty of the Swiss Alps and Munich for the show’s striking visual backdrop.
The series also secured significant international funding, including:
- €10 million from the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF)
- €7.5 million from Austria’s FISA+ program
These contributions underscore the show’s growing global reach and cinematic ambitions, setting the stage for a more expansive and polished second season.
Premiere Details
Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 officially premiered on May 21, 2025, on Hulu in the United States. International audiences will be able to stream the series on Prime Video (outside of the U.S.) starting May 22, 2025.
The rollout begins with the first two episodes dropping at launch, followed by weekly episode releases, giving fans time to digest each twist and theory as the story unfolds.
With a stunning new setting, an all-star cast, and the promise of more psychological drama and ethical ambiguity, Season 2 is shaping up to be a worthy continuation and reinvention of the series that captivated audiences worldwide.
Wrapping Up
With its return, Nine Perfect Strangers promises to once again blur the lines between healing and manipulation, serenity and chaos. Season 2 may introduce a new cast and setting, but at its core, it remains a gripping exploration of human vulnerability, anchored by Nicole Kidman’s enigmatic Masha and elevated by a compelling new ensemble.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, the Alpine retreat awaits, and if the first season taught us anything, it’s that no one leaves unchanged.
