A few months ago, I got sucked in by a series of bizarre TikTok ads for Reelshort, an app where you can watch short-form dramas on your phone. These shows are full of fanfic tropes and Wattpad-style plot lines, and somewhere along the line I found myself completely hooked.
ReelShort has managed to create its own unique genre of bite-sized drama. It keeps all the elements of the classic soap opera—dramatic slaps across the face, poisonings, comas, and devious villains—while also adding some new tropes all their own. Nearly every episode features vicious money-grubbing parents, an absurdly bitchy female antagonist with an axe to grind, a dashing male lead with bushy caterpillar eyebrows, and a weird fourth-wall break where the characters mention ReelShort or its parent company Crazy Maple Studios. These shows are weird as hell, and yet still fascinating.
The productions are obviously low-budget, which we assume is to blame for the particularly hilarious set and prop choices that show up in most scenes. The acting can be a bit hit or miss, with some actors really chewing the scenery and others managing to do some serious heavy lifting carrying otherwise absurd scripts.
So I decided I would take one for the team and watch as many of these shows as I possibly could, then share my picks on what to watch and what to skip. Here's a recap of everything I watched and what was—and wasn't—worth it.
Fated to My Forbidden Alpha
Starring Autumn Noel, Kasey Esser, Antheia, & John William DiCaro
After being rejected by her pack's Alpha, young werewolf Selene is rescued from her abusive pack by a rival Alpha who turns out to be her second-chance mate.
My Verdict: This is one of Reelshort's most promoted shows, and it's really terrible, but in a can't-look-away trainwreck kind of way. Watch it and enjoy how deeply bizarre it is.
★☆☆☆☆ SO BAD IT'S GOOD!
Snatched a Billionaire to Be My Husband
Starring Jarred Harper & Grace Swanson
Disgraced and broke, former wealthy heiress Cora finds herself struggling to get by and support her sick mother, but fate leads her into the arms of billionaire Byron Hansen.
My Verdict: This was fun to watch, but not particularly memorable.
★★★☆☆ It's fine.
Trigger Warning: graphic depicted suicide
Never Divorce a Secret Billionaire Heiress
Starring Candace Mizga, John William DiCaro, & Freddy Piazza
After 3 years of marriage, Joyce divorces Tristan Beckett because he's been using her as a blood bank for his ailing friend. He had no idea she was a secret billionaire heiress.
My Verdict: This show somehow manages to be both drama-packed and boring, and for some reason has two endings?
★★☆☆☆ SKIP IT.
Fated to My Forbidden Vampire
Starring Nick Ritacco & Brooke Moltrum
Heather is an orphan and mistreated human servant. After a chance encounter with vampire Theo, the two become blood bonded and he needs to drink her blood each day to survive. But Heather's boss wants Theo for herself.
My Verdict: A fun casual watch with decent acting.
★★★☆☆ It's fine.
Married At First Sight
Starring Lorenzo Brunetti & Autumn Noel
Summer is crushed when her boyfriend Vincent leaves her for a rich woman. To get back at him, she marries a stranger who turns out to be billionaire CEO Christian Norton.
My Verdict: This plot plays out like a wild, AI-generated fever dream. It's completely crazy, but for that reason alone is worth a watch.
★★☆☆☆ It's bad, but watch it anyway!
The CEO's Contract Wife
Starring Samantha Drews, Cameron Saffle, Sofia Bragar, & Roman Chsherbakov
Billionaire Jasper Tate needs a wife and heir to honor his late father's dream. Desperate for money to save her dying sister, Khloe Adams agrees to be his contract wife—and bear him a child. But over time, they fall in love.
My Verdict: This was really fun and the actors were great!
★★★★★ MUST WATCH!
The Billionaire's Baby Bargain
Starring Daniela Couso, Richard Sharrah, Mario Silva
Okay, here's where it gets weird: This is the exact same show as the last one, The CEO's Contract Wife, but remade with a new cast and new character names
My Verdict: I don't know why they remade the same show, but it wasn't as good as the original.
★★★☆☆ SKIP IT. Watch The Billionaire's Contract Wife instead.
This series is also an interactive fiction story The CEO's Contract Wife on the app Chapters.
Curse of the Dragon King
Starring Mario Silva & Isabella De Souza Moore
Marked as the mate of the enigmatic and powerful Dragon King, a human girl must navigate a forbidden bond that could either lead to their doom or save him from a generational curse.
My Verdict: The acting is good and the series pulls off a lot with its low budget.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
This series is also an interactive fiction story I Am the Dragon King's Slave Mate on the app Chapters.
I Married As The Replacement Bride
Starring Ethan Vaugh & Lauren Muccino
Silvio Argento is the most feared mafia don in the world, known for killing all of his previous brides. So when Martina's sister is set to be his next bride and possible victim, Martina steps in to take her place.
My Verdict: This one is my personal favorite. The story was compelling and the actors really sold it.
★★★★★ MUST WATCH!
Big Bad Husband, Please Wake Up!
Starring Samantha Drews & Roman Chsherbakov
Ciara Mitchell is forced by her family to marry the son of a powerful allied family, Adrian Lewis, who is currently in a coma. His family believes he'll never wake up, but he surprises everyone when he awakens with Ciara at his side.
My Verdict: I didn't love it, didn't hate it.
★★★☆☆ It's fine.
Big Bad Husband, Please Wake Up! II
Starring Samantha Drews & Roman Chsherbakov
Surprisingly, this is not a sequel to Big Bad Husband, Please Wake Up; it's a reimagining of the story with several plot changes.
My Verdict: Both shows were nearly identical, but the first was slightly better.
★★☆☆☆ SKIP IT.
This series is also an interactive fiction story Big Bad Husband, Please Wake Up! on the app Chapters.
30 Days Til I Marry My Husband's Nemesis
Starring Brittany Marsicek & Mark McClafferty
When her husband murders her, Blair Rose is suddenly wrenched back in time to a week before their wedding. This time, she plans to get revenge by marrying her husband's rival instead.
My Verdict: The plot was a little bonkers and there were more inexplicable scooters than I expected, but the actors had really nice chemistry.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
Deadly Affair with My Brother-in-Law
Starring Ella Frazee & Norrie Sadovnik
★★★★☆
Aurora is trapped in a loveless engagement with a mafia heir, but soon becomes entangled in an affair with his elder brother and boss, Noah Hayes.
My Verdict: This series had the most intense action of all of them. Overall it was a very compelling mafia romance with good acting.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
Ms. Swan, Teach Me Love
Starring Candace Mizga & Josh Welles
When Charlotte Swan starts a job teaching at St. James Academy, the last thing she expects is for troublesome student Timothy Wolfe to set his sights on her. He's the king of the school, the principle's son, and 100% off limits.
My Verdict: If you can get over the questionableness of the student-teacher pairing, it's a cute story and well-acted.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
Taming the Lion: Billionaire on Bikes
Starring Analisa Southworth Wall & Luke Charles Stafford
One night, Leo Striker, billionaire owner of a motorcycle empire, saves Kara from being attacked by her stalker ex. When the two end up working together at his company, sparks fly.
My Verdict: The series veered into awkward/bad territory at times, but was overall fun to watch.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
I Got Married Without You
Starring Lorenzo Brunetti, Payton Morelli, & Caleb Pruett
After three years as a contract mistress to Andrew Kingston, Rosalyn finds herself suddenly dumped for another woman. But he can't handle it when she agrees to marry someone else.
My Verdict: This one is gloriously weird. The male lead is awful and the plot is mind-boggling. I am fully convinced that this was Batman fanfiction that was rewritten to be copyright-friendly.
★☆☆☆☆ SO BAD, YOU NEED TO SEE IT!
This series is also a story on Kiss called I Got Married Without You.
How My Boss Became My Hubby
Starring Jey Reynolds & Kirsten Schaffer
In an attempt to get her clingy ex off her back for good, Allison Lang claims she's dating her boss, Lucas. But the text ends up being broadcast to the entire office.
My Verdict: A surprisingly sweet office romance with really solid acting.
★★★★★ MUST WATCH!
Oh No! I Slept with My Husband!
Starring Brittany Marsicek & Ali Badalov
Beth married billionaire Nathan Wright three years ago as part. of an arrangement between their families, but he barely introduces himself at their wedding and immediately leaves to travel overseas. When he returns, she realizes he doesn’t even recognize her.
My Verdict: The plot is relatively standard for Reelshort, but the actors are good and it's enjoyable to watch.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
The Boss Affair
Starring Amalea Joy Sanchez & Nicholas Garabedian
Before her first day at a brand new job, Lucy lets loose and has a one night stand with a mysterious hottie. But the next day, she discovers he's actually her new boss!
My Verdict: This one was very cute and the actors had great chemistry.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband
Starring Jared Harper & Avery Lynch
Natalie Quinn agrees to marry the black sheep of the wealthy Klein family, Sebastian, in her sister's place. Little does she know, Sebastian Klein's criminal past is very much still in the present.
My Verdict: This series is exactly what you want it to be—a billionaire-meets-mafia type drama with lots of intrigue.
★★★★☆ Worth a watch!
This series is also an interactive fiction story The Double Life of My Billionaire Hubby on the app Chapters.
Do you have a favorite Reelshort series? Did you agree with my takes? Tell us in the comments...