The Eating Club on Netflix: cast, story and what Saskia Noort thinks of it
Movies & series › Netflix & streaming
A group of friends in the dunes, dinners that are to die for, and beneath the table a chasm of lies. The Dinner Club is back, now as a Netflix series of seven episodes, and the series immediately landed at number 1. The best part: the author of the book, Saskia Noort, also thinks it's amazing.
What is The Eetclub about?
It starts like such stories always do: a family moves to a beautiful village and wants to fit in. Karen (played by Loes Haverkort) moves with her husband Michel (Teun Luijkx) and their children to Bergen. To truly settle in, she joins the Dinner Club, a large group of friends who celebrate life with extravagant dinners and joint vacations.
Cozy, you think. Until Karen realizes that those evenings are wilder than she had thought. There is a lot of alcohol, there are drugs, the friends might be too close, and every weekend the party glues the nights together. Then one of the group's villas goes up in flames. Evert, a friend from the club, dies. His wife and children barely escape in time.
From that moment on, things go wrong, and that's the most fun part. Karen discovers that the close friendship is held together by a web of lies. She wants to know the truth, no matter the cost. Ultimately, that really does cost her something. What exactly it is, we won't reveal. We are spoiler-free, even if it hurts.
Three timelines, one knot in your stomach
A detail that elevates the series above average: it is told in three timelines, namely the present, the past, and the interrogation line. So you are not only watching what happened, but also how someone recounts it afterward. Our colleague May-Britt Mobach mentioned the script, the styling, the locations, the direction, and the actors in one breath as reasons for her obsession with it.
Who is playing in The Eating Club?
The cast is according to our reviewer Danielle Heerkens a hit. She describes everyone as strong in their role and feels that the relationships and tension feel very natural. In the series, we see among others:
| Actor | Role | What Amayzine thinks of it |
|---|---|---|
| Loes Haverkort | Karen | The face of the newcomer who figures everything out. Haverkort is mentioned by Danielle Heerkens as one of the perfect choices. |
| Teun Luijkx | Michel, Karen's husband | Karen's husband, who moves with the family to Bergen. |
| Rifka Lodeizen | Supporting role | Danielle Heerkens claims to love series in which Lodeizen plays and calls her a top talent. |
| Charlie-Chan Dagelet | Supporting role | Is among the actors who, according to our reviewer, have a perfect role. |
| Noortje Herlaar | Supporting role | Same: strong in her character. |
| Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen | Supporting role | Our reviewer didn't know him yet, but found his role brilliantly played. |
Want to know more about who plays whom? Check Titles, cast & explanation.
Who is behind the camera?
Series creator and screenwriter Dorien Goertzen came up with the series. She previously collaborated with Saskia Noort on Nieuwe Buren, also a series based on a book by Noort.
Book, film, and series: what is the difference?
The Dinner Club is not a new story. Saskia Noort wrote the novel in 2004, over 22 years ago. In 2010, a film adaptation followed. Now there is the Netflix series. Three versions of the same story, with a very different result.
| Version | Year | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Roman | 2004 | More than 700,000 copies sold. Translated into German, English, and French. |
| Film | 2010 | Noort found the characters too flat. The nuance of the book was missing. |
| Netflix series | 2026 | Seven episodes. According to Noort, a kind of tribute to the book, with room for the characters. |
The big advantage of a series is simple: time. Seven episodes provide more space to develop characters, deepen relationships, and tell the story more extensively. A film has to choose, a series can linger on the cracks in a friendship. You can also hear that from Noort herself.
Is reading the book necessary? No. Danielle Heerkens read it back then, but it was so long ago (2004) that it didn't spoil her own interpretation of the series. Our tip: watch first, read later, and then compare for your own enjoyment.
What does Saskia Noort think of the series?
Everyone was of course curious about that, because an author who sees her own book for the third time in a different form has a right to speak. In an interview with NU.nl, Noort said that the series feels like a kind of tribute to the book for her. For an author, it is extra special that a story that has existed for years now reaches a new audience via Netflix.
She is positive about the freedom the creators have taken: “The creators have taken their freedom and I think that works very well.” She also says something about the space a series offers to further develop the story, and that difference from an earlier film adaptation can be important according to her.
That contrast with 2010 is significant. Noort was much less pleased with the film: too flat characters, too little nuance. She found the series amazing. And because it went well, it immediately gave a boost to the sales of her 2004 novel.
Also read: The Eating Club on Netflix: what does Saskia Noort think of the series?
What does Saskia Noort earn from De Eetclub?
There is no official amount. What we do have is the calculation from our own writer May-Britt Mobach, which you can see as a substantiated estimate.
The book
More than 700,000 copies of the novel have been sold. According to our estimate, Noort has certainly earned a million euros from that. Due to the Netflix effect, our writer believes a few thousand more books will be added. Since the book has already been translated into German, English, and French, and the series is available in 54 countries, the translated version will likely receive fresh attention again.
The series
How a book adaptation usually goes is outlined by Mobach in three steps:
- An author receives a sum from Netflix to adapt a book into a series.
- If the series goes into production, an additional amount is added.
- There is undoubtedly a bonus scheme attached if the series becomes a success.
She does not mention concrete amounts, and neither do we. But it is certain that De Eetclub is a success. A delightful extra, as Mobach calls it.
Also read: This is what Saskia Noort earns from Netflix success The Dinner Club
Viewing figures: how well is De Eetclub doing?
On September 14, four days after the launch, De Eetclub was already number 1 on Netflix. Our reviewer found that completely justified and wrote that she had binge-watched the series. That fits with the overall impression: seven episodes, building tension, and enough developments to keep you curious for the next one.
More viewing figures are (not) available yet. The series is available in 54 countries. This means that a Dutch thriller about friends in the dunes is now attracting viewers far beyond the Low Countries.
Is there going to be a second season of De Eetclub?
Officially, nothing has been announced yet. But the material is ready, as Saskia Noort has written a sequel to De Eetclub. According to May-Britt Mobach, this lays the blueprint for a new series.
Mobach also listened to the podcast The Bigger Picture, where the two writers spoke, and she claims to have picked up a big hint there. What that hint entails, she shows in a video in her article. So we stick to: rumor with a solid foundation, no confirmation yet.
Is De Eetclub something for you?
Watch if you enjoy Dutch thrillers where an apparently perfect life slowly falls apart. The series has tension, secrets, complicated relationships, and beautiful houses in the dunes. Danielle Heerkens calls it a must-watch. May-Britt Mobach describes her own evangelistic zeal in such a way that she almost has to apologize for it: she found it an exceptionally well-made series in every respect.
Don’t like stories where friends destroy each other with a glass of wine in hand? Then this might remain a series to talk about without watching it. That is also a choice.
What do you watch after De Eetclub?
In the mood for more thrillers, series with friend groups, or just a new Netflix tip? This stuck with us:
- Another thriller with a missing child and a big secret: I Will Find You (eight episodes). Our reviewer Danielle Heerkens is not happy with it, but she does call it the fast-food version of thrillers: you know it’s not good, but you still want to see the ending.
- German tension: look in our list of German Netflix series including Dark, 1899, and Kleo.
- Dutch series with a lot of drama: Haantjes season 2, eight episodes on Netflix, read the interview with the cast about open relationships.
- Dating drama in the reality corner: Love is Blind: Netherlands, or check everything in dating reality shows.
More viewing inspiration can be found on the pages Netflix & streaming and Movies & series.
Read more
- The Eating Club on Netflix: what does Saskia Noort think of the series?
- This is what Saskia Noort earns from Netflix success The Dinner Club
- New on Netflix: September
- Finished with Unfamiliar? These German Netflix series you'll want to watch too
- The new Harlan Coben series on Netflix makes absolutely no sense
- The cast of Haantjes season 2 tells us everything about open relationships
- Earle Meets World shows a completely different side of Alix Earle
Frequently asked questions about De Eetclub
How many episodes does De Eetclub have?
Seven episodes. The series has been on Netflix since September 10.
Who is playing in The Eating Club?
Loes Haverkort plays Karen and Teun Luijkx plays her husband Michel. Furthermore, among others, Rifka Lodeizen, Charlie-Chan Dagelet, Noortje Herlaar, and Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen can be seen.
Is The Eating Club based on a book?
Yes, based on the novel of the same name by Saskia Noort from 2004. More than 700,000 copies have been sold. The book was already adapted into a film in 2010.
What is The Eetclub about?
Karen moves with her family to Bergen and joins the Eetclub, a group of friends with extravagant dinners and vacations. When a villa burns down and Evert dies, she discovers that a web of lies keeps the group together.
Who created The Dinner Club?
Dorien Goertzen is a screenwriter and series maker. She previously collaborated with Saskia Noort on Nieuwe Buren, also a series based on a book by Noort.
What does Saskia Noort think of the series?
She is satisfied with it. In an interview with NU.nl, she called the series a kind of tribute to the book and thought it worked well that the creators took their freedom. She found the earlier film from 2010 too flat.
What does Saskia Noort earn from De Eetclub?
There is no official amount. According to an estimate by Amayzine, she has earned at least one million euros from the book, and in addition, there is a fee for the rights for a series, an amount for production, and probably a bonus for success.
Is there going to be a season 2 of De Eetclub?
Not officially yet. Saskia Noort has written a sequel to De Eetclub, so there is source material for a second season.
- I Will Find You: Another Netflix series with a book behind it: the thriller by Harlan Coben.
- Everything about Netflix and streaming
- The complete overview of Movies & series
Alle titels op een rij
Or go back to Movies & series.
