The 10 Best Shows Like The Mosquito Coast

Mosquito Coast deals with a family on the run with dark secrets of their own. So what other shows offer similar but distinct forms of entertainment?

The second season of Mosquito Coast begins on November 4, 2022 and continues the story of Ellie Fox and his family after they flee the government and cross the Mexican border. The Mosquito Coast is back after a long hiatus, and will be entering another one after this season's 10-episode arc, so fans better have other shows to watch that offer similar entertainment.

These include series with aesthetic ties to the Mosquito Coast, such as Breaking Bad, and those that also follow families through their hot days in new surroundings, such as Them. Fans of the show will not only find up-close material, but also appreciate their unique style and storylines.

Them (2021)

Stream On Prime Video

Set in 1953, they see a black family move to a predominantly white neighborhood in Los Angeles. Characters emerge in an environment where people aren't very welcoming, leading to their growing paranoia causing them to turn on each other.

Their similarity to The Mosquito Coast lies in the uncertainty of the home environment, as the audience picks up the tension and danger felt by the characters. One Family Moves In One Premise Escaping from a previously secret new place is also what connects them to the Mosquito Coast.

Panic (2021)

Stream On Prime Video

Panic is about a dangerous game in which high school students take part in a chance to escape their small town with a horrific history. While the plot may look different from "The Mosquito Coast," "Panic" has many of the same elements, such as the need to escape, haunting secrets, and chaotic choices of characters.

Scares may be derailed by exaggerated content that includes emotional and physical violence, but the main draw for viewers is the step-by-step description of what makes this town so scary. This is similar to Mosquito considering that similar mysteries exist in the series.

Made For Love (2021-22)

Stream On HBO Max

Made for Love is a dark comedy about a woman who escapes her stifling marriage to a tech billionaire. Her escape is literal as her husband installs a tracking device on her, which leads the protagonist to make hasty decisions on a difficult journey to gain her freedom.

Despite the latter, Mosquito Coast also has protagonists fleeing the government Watching them, Made for Love is on a smaller scale. The show uses cringe-worthy humor to paint its quirky premise, though things can get very real when the main characters have their backs against the wall.

The Gifted (2017-19)

Stream On Hulu

The Gifted can be seen as a sci-fi version of The Mosquito Coast, as there is also a family trying to escape the government. Genius follows the protagonist's life on the run when two children manifest mutant powers that the authorities are hunting for.

The Gifted doesn't have the bad parenting that The Mosquito Coast contains, but many of the parental secrets that are soon to be revealed are similar. The series follows the protagonist as he meets others like them before learning that a revolution may be on the horizon.

The Virtues (2019)

Stream On Topic

Themes of escapism and dark secrets are abundant in Virtue, which begins with protagonist Joseph traveling to Ireland to reconnect with his sister after his wife and child leave him. Joseph soon learns dire details from his past that make it unsafe for him to return home.

Viewers of Mosquito Coast will enjoy the overall mystery surrounding virtue plot, because there is a turning point around almost every corner. Both shows also share a common theme of family betrayal, though "Virtue" turns into a straight-up thriller later on.

Chapelwaite (2021-)

Stream On Epix

Audiences are best known for Adrien Brody's many well-received films, but the actor made it to the small screen with this horror flick. Chapelwaite surrounds Charles Boone as he moves his children to his hometown following the death of his wife, only to have a dark family secret haunt them all.

While Chapelwaite leans heavily towards its horror material, the growing tension that develops with each episode is reminiscent of the Mosquito Coast. Charles' secret and his decline in demeanor is the same as Ellie's on the Mosquito Coast, and Chapelwaite's audience begins to see this in a more dire light.

Ozark (2017-22)

Stream On Netflix

Jason Bateman was one of the comedians to turn to the drama Ozark, which tells the story of a family who moves to the Lake of the Ozarks and then becomes embroiled in a money laundering scheme. Ozark charts their gradual rise in the criminal market and then their return to haunt them.

Mosquito Coast has a Mexican drug cartel As part of the character's main conflict, this is very similar to Ozark with many of the same issues. The series also shows the impact of the couple's illicit dealings on their family, so viewers of the Mosquito Coast have plenty of material they'll find familiar in Ozark.

Hanna (2019-21)

Stream On Prime Video

Hannah tells the story of the titular character's escape from agents trying to eliminate her identity as a super-soldier experiment. The show begins with Hanna's adoptive father taking her to safety as a child from a testing facility before the government decides to pick up the pieces when Hanna is a teenager.

Hannah's outdoor scenes and character being hunted by the authorities will be close to fans of The Mosquito Coast. As more about her origin and her purpose are revealed, the show also slowly brings Hannah's past to light, making it a more action-oriented take on themes from The Mosquito Coast.

Lost In Space (2018-21)

Stream On Netflix

Lost in Space is set in 2046, when a family leaves Earth to colonize another planet, until they crash-land elsewhere due to traitors. The Mosquito Coast can be seen as a sci-fi and futuristic version of the premise, on a much larger scale.

The main plot of Lost in Space revolves around the family's survival in this new environment and the uncovering of a conspiracy against them. It helps that Lost in Space has plenty of likable characters to follow, unlike Mosquito Coast, where the latter series lacked in this regard. However, the twists and escapism are similar in both shows.

Breaking Bad (2008-13)

Stream On Netflix

Critics and audiences alike agree that Breaking Bad gets better and better each season, as the show is considered a masterclass in protagonist-turned-villain transformation. Mosquito Coast deals with the same premise as Ellie also goes mad.

Breaking Bad follows Walter White who builds a criminal empire by selling drugs enough to support his family to ensure they are cared for after dying of cancer. Walter eventually becomes obsessed with power and puts his family in grave danger when things get out of hand. The Mosquito Coast has several familiarities with Breaking Bad, from character development to the character's aesthetic qualities Desert-like environment.