影片改编自苏珊·斯卡夫·梅瑞尔小说，背景设置在上世纪60年代，讲述了一对年轻夫妇(勒曼、杨饰)搬去与美国哥特惊悚小说家雪莉·杰克逊(莫斯饰)及其丈夫(斯图巴饰)同住，他们因此卷入一场心理惊悚事件，而这也为杰克逊的下一部小说提供了素材。

　　The series unfolds as an epic drama, chronicling three generations of the influential Forsyte family during the early 20th century. Beneath their imposing facade, the family harbors a tumultuous core of unhappy and brutal relationships. Soames Forsyte, a formidable London solicitor and a key figure in the influential family, accustomed to securing his desires, becomes fixated on marrying the beautiful but indifferent Irene. Despite her initial resistance and passion for art and beauty, Irene succumbs to a life of affluence with Soames but remains adamant about not becoming his possession. As the absence of love becomes apparent and Irene falls for a young architect, Soames, determined to assert control, resorts to coercive measures he couldn’t buy with wealth alone.