--- title: "Conversations with Friends: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/conversations-with-friends/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/conversations-with-friends" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Conversations with Friends (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 17 reviews: 6 positive, 7 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews lean mixed on Conversations with Friends, with praise clustering around its supporting performances and attention to unspoken feelings. Sasha Lane and Jemima Kirke earn repeated approval, including from critics who find the central romance unconvincing. More favourable accounts value the series’ emotional intelligence, its exploration of friendship and commitment, and the care with which it observes characters concealing their vulnerabilities. The main divide is over whether that restraint sustains interest across twelve episodes: admirers find emotional complexity in the silences, while detractors find coldness, weak chemistry and sluggish pacing. Several reviews also argue that the adaptation loses too much of the novel’s inner life, with comparisons to Normal People frequently unfavourable. The spread is wide: Paste praises the ensemble and sensitive treatment of sex and chronic pain, while Variety finds the series miscast and meandering, with its stronger moments coming from supporting characters. ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Rating B+. 10 May 2022. The critic finds it an admirable but bumpier follow-up to Normal People, praising its emotional intelligence and distinct take on love. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/05/conversations-with-friends-review-hulu-series-joe-alwyn-1234723316/) ## Radio Times Rating 4/5. 10 May 2022. The adaptation excels at exploring the unspoken emotions and central friendship between Frances and Bobbi, with magnetic performances especially from Sasha Lane and Jemima Kirke. It maintains a dreamlike quality while highlighting the characters' inner hurts and complexities. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/conversations-with-friends-bbc-review/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2022. The series thrives on what goes unsaid in its exploration of commitment, friendship, and romantic love, with strong chemistry between the leads. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/conversations-with-friends-hulu-series-review.html) ## The Times — Ben Dowell Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2022. The adaptation is earnest and extremely slow but exquisitely done, capturing the source material's tone through careful direction and performances. It stands out for its deliberate pacing and visual style despite the deliberate lack of overt drama. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/conversations-with-friends-review-earnest-extremely-slow-and-exquisitely-done-k9jd0q75r) ## The AV Club — Manuel Betancourt Rating C+. 11 May 2022. It can't capture the book's interiority and narration, resulting in mixed results compared to Normal People. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/tv-review-conversations-with-friends-hulu-alison-olive-1848906856) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2022. The restrained adaptation elegantly captures fine details of interactions and character reserve but often feels too cool and detached, lacking sufficient warmth or heat from the leads. It has perceptive moments of vulnerability toward the end but remains largely bloodless. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/conversations-with-friends-tv-review-1235135019/) ## The Telegraph — Anita Singh Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2022. The series is watchable in half-hour episodes but lacks the wow factor and universal appeal of Normal People, with chemistry issues and a niche story. Strong supporting turns from Jemima Kirke and Sasha Lane help pep things up. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/anita-singhs-verdict-conversations-friends-watchable-without/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2022. This is a watered-down version of the exhilarating novel, with the central romance lacking convincing chemistry and the twelve episodes feeling baggy. The direction and aesthetic echo Normal People but miss its bright, thrilling complexity. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/conversations-with-friends-tv-review-bbc-three-sally-rooney-frances-oliver-joe-alwyn-b998841.html) ## Empire — Ella Kemp Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2022. The series offers a fraught, often upsetting look at how the strongest feelings of love can break people apart, with tender moments and strong supporting performances from Jemima Kirke and Sasha Lane. The adaptation struggles to fully capture the book's inner lives on screen and may work better on the page. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/conversations-with-friends-2/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2022. The adaptation is an aggressively uneventful affair full of meaningful looks and strained silences that tests viewer patience across twelve episodes. The fine performances, especially by newcomer Alison Oliver, are undermined by the lack of dialogue and action. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/15/conversations-with-friends-review-sally-rooney-tv-adaptation) ## Variety — Caroline Framke Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2022. The series is miscast and meandering, failing to recapture the chemistry and insight of Normal People due to weak lead chemistry and a lack of nuance in the central romance. Stronger moments come from the supporting characters Bobbi and Melissa. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/conversations-with-friends-review-hulu-1235266666/) ## Paste — Ellen Johnson Rating 8.7. 10 May 2022. The critic praises how the genius of Sally Rooney shines through in the Hulu series, noting it captures the emotional highs and lows and challenges perceptions of relationships and sexuality. They single out the strong ensemble performances and sensitive handling of sex scenes and chronic pain for praise. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/conversations-with-friends/conversations-with-friends-review) ## Consequence — Mary Siroky Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2022. The review finds the series intimate and messy, anchored by strong performances from the core cast, but notes it lacks the warmth of Normal People, recommending it for those fascinated by the messiness of modern love stories. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2022/05/conversations-with-friends-review/) ## NME — El Hunt Rating 3/5. 10 May 2022. The critic describes the series as a cold yet compelling adaptation of Sally Rooney’s debut that ultimately falls short of 'Normal People'. They single out the deliberate colder tone and the exploration of characters hiding their vulnerabilities for praise, while noting toned-down class differences as a complaint. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/conversations-with-friends-review-sally-rooney-normal-people-bbc-3222304) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 16 May 2022. The series is a harder sell than Normal People and more flawed in concept than execution, resulting in a show that is admirable in its convictions but often aimless. It singles out the effective performances by Alison Oliver and Joe Alwyn for praise amid the uneven adaptation. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/05/16/tv/sally-rooney-conversations-with-friends-hulu-show) ## Collider — Emma Kiely Rating C-. 10 May 2022. The critic argues that the book is better than the series, calling it stale, uninspired, and cold without the charm of 'Normal People'. They praise Jemima Kirke’s standout performance as Melissa while complaining about the uninspired central performance and directionless script. [Read the review](https://collider.com/conversations-with-friends-tv-show-review-sally-rooney-hulu/) ## Den of Geek — Delia Harrington Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2022. The adaptation is lukewarm and uneven, stripping much from the book, though the queer disabled love story between Frances and Bobbi emerges as a highlight in the finale. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/conversations-with-friends-ending-lukewarm-adaptation/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/conversations-with-friends.md