7 Period Dramas Based on Books to Stream on Netflix in December 2023

Alias Grace (2017)

Based on the book by: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Crime Drama

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

Alias Grace takes us through the life of Grace Marks, a young maid who was present when her master and his housekeeper were brutally murdered. Whether or not Grace was involved in the crime remains a question mark until the very last minutes of the show, which is based on a real-life pair of grisly murders that took place in July of 1843.

Anne with an “E” (2017)

Based on Anne of Green Gables series by: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%

Another Canadian classic, Anne with an “E” tells the story of orphaned Anne Shirley, who is accidentally adopted by a brother and sister who were hoping for a (male) farmhand. The irrepressible Anne becomes a bit of a feminist force in this period adaptation, which maintains Anne’s carefree spirit while also introducing more serious examinations of life and culture in 1890s Prince Edward Island.

Cold Mountain (2003)

Based on the book by: Charles Frazier

Genre: War Drama / Romance

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%

Near the end of the American civil war, wounded Confederate soldier W.P. Inman (Jude Law) deserts the army to go home to his love Ada (Nicole Kidman). As Inman fights to make it home alive, Ada and the other women of Cold Mountain must survive on their wits in an increasingly hostile world.

Cold Mountain boasts an absolutely stellar cast (Renee Zellweger! Donald Sutherland! Cillian Murphy! And is that… Jack White?) and was nominated for six Academy Awards.

The Cook of Castamar (2021)

Based on the book by: Fernando J. Muñez

Genre: Romance

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87% (Audience Score)

If you’re looking for a period romance with higher stakes than Bridgerton, consider the Spanish-language series The Cook of Castamar. In 1720s Madrid, a bereaved Duke is still suffering from the loss of his wife. He finds love again in the most unlikely of places: with his cook, Clara. She suffers from agoraphobia following the death of her father, and the difference in class positions causes much drama for the couple.

The Alienist (2017)

Based on the book by: Caleb Carr

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

New York, 1896. When a killer begins to ritualistically kill young boys engaged in sex work, police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt pulls together a team consisting of newspaper reporter John Moore (Luke Evans), police secretary Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning​​), and the obsessive criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl). Kreizler is an 'alienist' – he studies mental pathologies, making him the original forensic psychiatrist.

Bridgerton (2020)

Based on the book series by: Julia Quinn

Genre: Romance

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

No list of period dramas would be complete without Bridgerton, which made waves in 2020 for bringing soap-opera fun to a sometimes stuffy genre. Unlike the other entries on this list, the Shonda Rhimes show makes no attempts at historical accuracy. Instead, its characters romp their way through a fun, pastel Regency wonderland, corsets ripping all the way.

The Ghost Bride

Based on the book by: Yangsze Choo

Genre: Supernatural Drama

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58% (Audience Score)

In 1890s Malacca, 20-year-old Li Lan is offered a proposal: to become a 'ghost bride' for a wealthy family’s deceased son. In return for a lifetime of mourning, Li Lan will be able to help her family escape from crippling poverty.

Although Li Lan doesn’t want the restrictions that come with life as a ghost bride, her father soon falls ill. The spirit of her prospective husband offers her a deal: if she solves his murder, he’ll guide the spirit of her father back to the land of the living.

That’s just the beginning of this entertaining supernatural crime show / romance / thriller, which wraps its story up in 6 jam-packed episodes.