---
title: "Severance"
year: 2022
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/severance"
fi1m_id: "severance"
imdb_id: "tt11280740"
tmdb_id: 95396
wikidata_id: "Q101096725"
fi1m_score: 86
critics_score: 85
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-17T10:43:11.099790+00:00"
region: "GB"
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."
---

# Severance (2022)

Created by Dan Erickson · BBFC 15 · Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

## Identity

Severance

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/severance
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** severance
- **IMDb ID:** tt11280740
- **TMDB ID:** 95396
- **Wikidata ID:** Q101096725
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/95396, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q101096725

**Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 85 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* A brain operation starts to sound reasonable when the alternative is remembering the office

> *Severance* makes its divided-memory premise frightening through Adam Scott’s performance and an office built to unsettle. The first season takes too long to gather pace, but its workplace satire earns the patience it asks for.

## Synopsis

At the corporation Lumon, a procedure separates employees’ memories of work from their memories of home. Inside the office, their lives outside are inaccessible; away from work, they cannot remember what happens during their working hours. Adam Scott plays Mark Scout in a science-fiction drama about the consequences of that division, as employees face questions about their employer and about who they are when part of their experience is missing. Britt Lower plays Helly Riggs, with Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel, John Turturro as Irving Bailiff and Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick.

## Review

The first season of *Severance* is a strong, unsettling workplace thriller, with an opening that asks for more patience than it needs. Its employees undergo a procedure that keeps their memories of work separate from everything they experience outside it. We can understand the appeal until we consider the person who only knows the office and cannot remember a moment away. Dan Erickson and his fellow writers take that consequence seriously, allowing room for jokes without treating the people caught in it as the joke. The loss of ordinary choice makes the premise frightening.

Adam Scott gives that premise someone to hurt. As Mark Scout, he makes the differences between the working and non-working selves legible without making either feel like an acting exercise. We felt trapped watching Scott’s office-bound self, because his performance gives the loss of a life outside work such an ordinary, recognisable face. He lets us see the limits of what Mark can know without playing those limits as stupidity. The performance keeps us concerned about him when the larger mystery threatens to occupy all our attention.

Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle direct with a useful unwillingness to hurry past discomfort. Jeremy Hindle’s production design gives Lumon’s offices their retro-futurist character, making the workplace difficult to place in a reassuringly familiar period. It resembles somewhere we might have worked, though we would struggle to say when. Jessica Lee Gagné’s cinematography helps distinguish the office from the outside world so firmly that a change of surroundings carries some of the story. Theodore Shapiro’s music keeps the unease present without crushing the humour, an important contribution in a programme where laughter rarely means that anyone is safe.

Patricia Arquette, as Harmony Cobel, is especially good at keeping us uncertain about how to read her. Her composure fits the corporate setting while giving it another reason to feel unsafe. The ensemble’s command of the comedy matters just as much: workplace absurdity remains funny even when the consequences have stopped being harmless. The actors make it possible to laugh without making the employees’ predicament look trivial, and their performances give the programme reasons to hold our attention beyond the next unanswered question.

The early pacing is less assured. Editors including Geoffrey Richman allow pauses enough room to become uncomfortable, a useful choice that the opening stretch sometimes overuses. Once the workplace has been established as oppressive, keeping us there longer does not always add anything to our understanding of it. The slow start would benefit from firmer cutting, even if some of that carefully maintained chill went with it.

For a science-fiction thriller, the series is unusually interested in how much of a person’s life an employer feels entitled to take. The procedure takes a recognisable wish for distance from work and follows it far enough to become cruel. When the pace improves, the conspiracy becomes compelling because the actors have made its human consequences matter. We want answers partly because we want these people to understand what is being done to them.

There is enough humour and feeling here to reward viewers who have little interest in keeping elaborate notes about clues. We recommend the first season with one practical warning: its early pace gives little indication of how gripping it becomes. Give it time, but there is no obligation to pretend the waiting is a virtue.

*Fi1m score 86, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are unanimously positive, and unusually so: none of the thirteen lands as mixed. Most critics start with the premise, a surgical split between work and home memories, and find it an unsettling and workable engine for both office satire and conspiracy thriller. The praise then settles on Ben Stiller’s direction, credited with the sinister calm of the Lumon offices and the retro-futurist production design, and on the cast. Adam Scott’s dual performance is mentioned most often, with Patricia Arquette close behind.

The reservations are small and consistent. Several critics, among them The Telegraph and Radio Times, find the early episodes slow to hand over the central mystery, though all agree the back half repays the patience. Paste is the most grudging, finding the series frustrating in places and objecting to a season that ends on a cliffhanger, a complaint /Film shares in milder form. The spread is narrow, from four stars to full marks, with NME and Collider the most enthusiastic.

## Straight answers

**Is Severance worth watching?**

*Severance* is worth watching for anyone who can sit through a slow opening stretch for a workplace thriller that becomes gripping, and we scored it 86. Adam Scott's performance and Jeremy Hindle's unplaceable office give the divided-memory premise real menace, and the humour holds up even when the consequences turn cruel. Give the first season time; its early pace gives little sign of what follows.

**How long is Severance, and what is it rated?**

*Severance* is rated 15 by the BBFC in the UK. It is a drama and mystery series.

**Where can I watch Severance in the UK?**

*Severance* is streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in the UK. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Severance, and is it suitable for children?**

*Severance* is certified 15 in the UK and TV-MA in the US, so it is not for children. Its unease comes less from violence than from the premise itself: employees who cannot remember any life outside the office, a situation the series treats as frightening rather than as a joke. Older teenagers who can take sustained discomfort and dry corporate satire should manage it.

**What should I watch after Severance?**

After *Severance*, try [*Playtime*](https://film.one/film/playtime) (1967, Fi1m 88): For the office architecture and corporate absurdity, with considerably more room to laugh. Then [*After Life*](https://film.one/film/after-life) (1998, Fi1m 85): Another workplace sorting through human memory, with more kindness and less corporate menace.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (90/100, inferred): The review praises the series as a brilliant and propulsive corporate conspiracy thriller that incisively dissects callous work culture. It singles out the thoughtful creative execution and dual performances for particular commendation. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/severance-review-ben-stiller-apple-tv-show-amazing-1234699524/)
- **Vulture** (90/100, inferred): The critic hails the series as one of the year’s best new shows for its confident writing, stylish direction, and immersive exploration of corporate erasure and work-life imbalance. It singles out the restrained atmosphere and character arcs for praise while noting some minor flaws in its measured pacing. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/severance-apple-tv-series-review.html)
- **The i Paper**, Rachael Sigee (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a timely, original and thought-provoking corporate nightmare with Black Mirror-esque unease and dark humour. Stiller's direction and the stunning visuals are singled out for creating a beautifully crafted world. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/severance-apple-tv-review-adam-scott-ben-stiller-1469361)
- **Variety**, Caroline Framke (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the series starts with unnerving bleakness and corporate dread but rewards patience with a propulsive psychological thriller in its back half, driven by precise direction from Stiller, striking production design, and a strong ensemble led by Adam Scott. They single out the cast's performances and the show's ability to sustain mystery and emotional depth. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/severance-review-apple-adam-scott-1235184217/)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (80/100, inferred): The review praises the slick, stylish direction and endlessly compelling weird premise as a frightening speculative take on corporate culture. Ben Stiller's lead direction and the strong cast, especially Patricia Arquette, are highlighted for their craft and performances. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/severance/)
- **Radio Times**, Huw Fullerton (4/5): The critic praises the timely and creepy premise of memory-separating surgery at a sinister corporation, the eerie atmosphere of the Lumon offices, and Ben Stiller's direction of six episodes that builds a sinister tone. They note some early slowness in delivering the central mystery but find the overall portrait of work and its costs impressive and worthwhile. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/severance-apple-tv-plus-review/)
- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The series is an impressively idiosyncratic comedy-drama about workers whose brains are split between work and home selves. It poses profound questions about identity and free will while skewering corporate culture, with strong direction by Stiller and standout performances. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/feb/18/severance-review-ben-stillers-workplace-fantasy-might-make-your-mind-explode)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the show's conceptual strength as borderline science fiction that feels all too relatable, with a fascinating speculative world built around the severance procedure, carried by a stacked cast including Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette. They single out the slow-burn narrative that builds to a thrilling climax and the directors' handling of the retro-futurist design and emotional undercurrents. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/severance-adam-scott-patricia-arquette-1235094526/)
- **The Telegraph**, Anita Singh (4/5): The Apple TV+ series offers an extreme solution to work-life balance via a brain implant separating work and home memories. It is a hard-to-pull-off mix of workplace satire and dystopian thriller that starts slowly but builds effectively. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/severance-apple-tv-review-office-drama-like-never-known/)
- **NME**, Ralph Jones (5/5): The critic calls it the best new TV show of 2022, an absorbing satire-thriller whose premise of severed work and personal memories is executed with great cast, writing and direction by Ben Stiller. It mixes nightmarish corporate elements with frequent humor and striking visuals. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/severance-review-adam-scott-apple-tv-3164694)
- **Collider**, Carly Lane (A): The critic calls the series a compelling workplace thriller with a singular premise and strong direction by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, noting skillful visuals, perspective shifts, and tone separation between the office and outside worlds. They single out the direction and the way mysteries and human connections are handled for praise. [Read](https://collider.com/severance-tv-show-review-ben-stiller-adam-scott-apple-tv-plus/)
- **/Film**, Vanessa Armstrong (90/100, inferred): The review hails the series as a mind-blowing, unpredictable workplace thriller and deep character piece that comments sharply on capitalism through its memory-severing premise and strong ensemble performances, especially Patricia Arquette. It notes the first season leaves the story incomplete. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/757395/severance-review-this-mind-blowing-unpredictable-series-from-apple-tv-is-a-must-watch/)
- **The Ringer**, Alison Herman (80/100, inferred): The series offers a surreal, allegorical take on work-life balance through its central concept at a mysterious corporation. It stands out for its strong performances, especially Adam Scott's dual role, and for maintaining mystery without becoming a frustrating puzzle box. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2022/02/18/severance/severance-apple-tv-plus-review-adam-scott-work-life-balance)
- **Paste**, Shane Ryan (8.1): The critic finds the series strange and frustrating at points but ultimately very good, praising the sci-fi premise as an effective narrative engine and metaphor for compartmentalization under capitalism, along with strong performances especially from Adam Scott. They single out the direction and the way the concept drives the story for praise while complaining about the decision to end on a cliffhanger for future seasons. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/severance/severance-review)

## Details

- **Created by:** Dan Erickson
- **Creator:** Dan Erickson
- **Director:** Ben Stiller, Aoife McArdle, Uta Briesewitz, Samuel Donovan, Jessica Lee Gagné
- **Writer:** Dan Erickson, Anna Ouyang Moench, Helen Leigh, Mohamad El Masri, Kari Drake, Amanda Overton, Andrew Colville, Adam Countee, Erin Wagoner, Wei-Ning Yu, Mark Friedman, Megan Ritchie, Chris Black, K.C. Perry
- **Cinematography:** Jessica Lee Gagné, David Lanzenberg, Suzie Lavelle, Matt Mitchell
- **Editor:** Geoffrey Richman, Joe Landauer, Erica Freed Marker, Keith Fraase, Gershon Hinkson
- **Music:** Theodore Shapiro
- **Production design:** Jeremy Hindle
- **Costume design:** Sarah Edwards
- **Producer:** Sean Fogel, Wei-Ning Yu, Jessica Lee Gagné
- **Cast:** Adam Scott as Mark Scout; Britt Lower as Helly Riggs; Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick; Zach Cherry as Dylan George; Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale; Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale; Dichen Lachman as Ms. Casey; Sarah Bock as Eustice Huang
- **Certificate (BBFC):** 15
- **Release (the UK):** 17 February 2022
- **Genres:** Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- **Also in:** [Emmy Outstanding Drama Series winners](https://film.one/collections/emmy-drama.md) (Nominee, 2022)
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEQP4VVuyrY

## Where to watch in the UK

- Apple TV: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Golden Globes 2023: Best Television Series – Drama (nominated)
- Primetime Emmy Awards 2022: Outstanding Main Title Design (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Prisoner* (1967): Another institution with immaculate manners and no interest in letting anyone leave.
- *Playtime* (1967), Fi1m 88: For the office architecture and corporate absurdity, with considerably more room to laugh. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/playtime.md)
- *After Life* (1998), Fi1m 85: Another workplace sorting through human memory, with more kindness and less corporate menace. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/after-life.md)
- *The Bothersome Man* (2006): A comfortable working life becomes quietly intolerable in this dry Norwegian fantasy.
- *Counterpart* (2017): Divided identities and office politics, with another lead performance worth studying closely.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/severance