--- title: "Severance: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/severance/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/severance" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 13 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): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 13 reviews: 13 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/severance-review-ben-stiller-apple-tv-show-amazing-1234699524/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/severance-apple-tv-series-review.html) ## The i Paper — Rachael Sigee Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2022. 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 the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/severance-apple-tv-review-adam-scott-ben-stiller-1469361) ## Variety — Caroline Framke Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2022. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/severance-review-apple-adam-scott-1235184217/) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/severance/) ## Radio Times — Huw Fullerton Rating 4/5. 7 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/severance-apple-tv-plus-review/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2022. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/severance-adam-scott-patricia-arquette-1235094526/) ## The Telegraph — Anita Singh Rating 4/5. 18 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/severance-apple-tv-review-office-drama-like-never-known/) ## NME — Ralph Jones Rating 5/5. 18 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/severance-review-adam-scott-apple-tv-3164694) ## Collider — Carly Lane Rating A. 7 February 2022. 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 the review](https://collider.com/severance-tv-show-review-ben-stiller-adam-scott-apple-tv-plus/) ## /Film — Vanessa Armstrong Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/757395/severance-review-this-mind-blowing-unpredictable-series-from-apple-tv-is-a-must-watch/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/02/18/severance/severance-apple-tv-plus-review-adam-scott-work-life-balance) ## Paste — Shane Ryan Rating 8.1. 17 February 2022. 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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/severance/severance-review) --- © 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/severance.md