--- title: "Insecure: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/insecure/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/insecure" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 7 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." --- # Insecure (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 7 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimously positive. Most critics take Insecure as a confident debut that arrives already knowing what it is, and the praise clusters on Issa Rae’s voice: the dialogue, the mirror raps, and the way ordinary days in the life of a Black professional woman are shown without a lecture attached. The friendship between Issa and Molly is singled out more than once, as is the detailed picture of Los Angeles around the pair. The spread is narrow, and nobody is unhappy. The cooler notices, from IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter, find the LA relationship-comedy shape familiar and locate the freshness in who is telling the story rather than in what happens. The warmer ones, led by The AV Club, argue that the plainness is the point and that showing this life matter-of-factly is itself radical. The Ringer adds that the ensemble keeps it from being a one-woman show. It is a difference of temperature, not of verdict. ## The AV Club — Danette Chavez Rating A-. 6 October 2016. The critic praises the series as a joyous and confident debut that is profound in its simplicity, centering on relatable experiences with incisive, poignant, and hilarious results. It singles out the matter-of-fact portrayal of a Black woman's life as revolutionary without heavy messaging. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/issa-rae-makes-a-joyous-and-confident-debut-with-insecu-1798189164) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2016. The critic finds Insecure a smart, fresh and funny portrait of regular black twentysomethings in LA, more down-to-earth than Sex and the City or Girls. They single out the brilliant characterisation, dialogue and monologues, especially Issa’s mirror raps, and the lovely portrait of friendship between Issa and Molly. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/oct/12/insecure-review-issa-rae) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2016. The review calls the series an insightful reflection of Black women's lives and an excellent new comedy that confirms the strength of half-hour comedy. It singles out the visual and performative conveyance of the multiple roles Black professional women must play, along with lyrical filmmaking touches. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/hbos-insecure-is-an-insightful-new-comedy.html) ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2016. The review finds the HBO debut familiar in some ways yet adventurous in others, with Rae upending convention while embracing it. It highlights the show's balance of relatable everyday experiences for a Black woman with sharp, insightful humor. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/insecure-review-hbo-issa-rae-awkward-black-girl-1201733603/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2016. The critic highlights the show's fresh perspective on familiar LA relationship comedy tropes through a distinctive African-American voice, making it stand out. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/insecure-review-935486/) ## Variety — Sonia Saraiya Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2016. The critic praises the show's distinctive dialogue and voice, noting how it blends specific cultural issues with universal themes through Issa Rae's character. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/insecure-review-hbo-issa-rae-1201872693/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2016. The critic praises the series for arriving fully formed after a long development process, with Rae's voice remaining central and amplified. It singles out the show's ensemble and detailed Los Angeles milieu as strengths that broaden its appeal beyond a single protagonist. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/10/06/tv/issa-rae-insecure-hbo-3def396aed80) --- © 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/insecure.md