--- title: "Sex Education: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/sex-education/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/sex-education" critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # Sex Education (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 12 reviews: 12 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous: twelve notices, all positive. The praise clusters around the writing, which nearly everyone finds funny and unusually kind about teenage embarrassment, and around Gillian Anderson, whose sex therapist mother is singled out repeatedly. Ncuti Gatwa’s Eric is the other performance that keeps coming up, with Variety calling him the standout. Several critics say the show uses sex as a way into friendship, consent and body image rather than as the point, and IndieWire frames it as the opposite of 13 Reasons Why. Disagreement is hard to find and the spread is narrow. NME thinks the opening episode is awkward and the series takes a while to settle. Digital Spy observes that, for a show built around sex, it is not sexy at all, and means it kindly. The two lowest scores, from Paste and Den of Geek, still praise the cast and the character work; they simply admire it a little less than the British papers do. ## The Telegraph — Helen Brown Rating 5/5. 11 January 2019. The series is a near masterpiece and addictive comedy drama that faces teen fears with reassuring honesty, tension-busting wit, empathy and wisdom while exploring complex friendships and relationships. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/2019/01/11/sex-education-netflix-review-addictive-teen-comedy-drama-empathy/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2019. The critic calls it a glorious, heartfelt, eye-wateringly funny creation that foregrounds sex to illuminate everything beyond it with densely written characters and standout performances. It pivots effortlessly from naturalistic laughs to moving moments. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jan/11/sex-education-review-netflix-asa-butterfield-gillian-anderson) ## IndieWire — Liz Shannon Miller Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2019. The critic describes the series as a sweet, sexy and heartfelt dramedy that serves as the anti-13 Reasons Why, with a talented young cast and Gillian Anderson having fun in the role of the sex therapist mother. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/sex-education-review-netflix-gillian-anderson-asa-butterfield-1202034559/) ## Variety — Caroline Framke Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2019. The critic praises the show's compassionate and humorous exploration of teen sexuality and relationships beyond mechanics, highlighting Ncuti Gatwa's standout performance as Eric and its refreshing take on high school tropes. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/sex-education-netflix-review-gillian-anderson-1203096414/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2019. The critic describes it as a hilarious and cringe-worthy dramedy blending raucous sex farce with empathy, anchored by strong performances from Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson, with sharp writing that deepens characters. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/sex-education-review-1173233/) ## The i Paper — Sarah Carson Rating ★★★★. 11 January 2019. The critic finds the series a delightful, acerbic comedy about teen sex, praising Gillian Anderson's brilliant, joyful performance as the sex-positive mother and the smart, healthy approach to the subject matter with imaginative details. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/sex-education-netflix-episode-1-review-gillian-anderson-asa-butterfield-245340) ## Digital Spy — Abby Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2019. The critic calls the series hilarious, heartfelt and important, noting that despite its focus on sex it is not sexy at all but instead emphasizes real, awkward conversations and the universal awkwardness of teenage experiences. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a25801213/sex-education-netflix-series/) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★. 10 January 2019. It's charming and handles difficult material with depth. Praises the real and grounded inclusion of sex, emotional investment in characters. [Read the review](https://collider.com/sex-education-review/) ## NME — Olly Richards Rating 4/5. 17 January 2019. The critic finds the show starts awkwardly but grows into one of Netflix's best originals. They praise its mature handling of topics like consent and body image with humor, and the authentic teenage dialogue and cast. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/sex-education-review-teens-show-will-entertaining-everybody-2432194) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2019. The critic finds "Sex Education" a charming and open-minded teen comedy that explores adolescent sexuality with graphic detail and empathy. She singles out its sociological survey of various sexual issues and commitment to open-mindedness for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/01/16/tv/sex-education-netflix-teen-comedy) ## Den of Geek — Nick Harley Rating 4 out of 5. 15 January 2019. The critic praises the series as a raunchy yet compassionate look at hormone-crazed adolescents that moves beyond clichés into deeper emotional territory, highlighting strong character work especially for supporting roles like Eric and Aimee. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/sex-education-review-spoiler-free/) ## Paste — Amy Glynn Rating 8.9. 11 January 2019. A raunchy and adorable coming-of-age dramedy. Praises character development and the cast, especially Gillian Anderson. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/sex-education/sex-education-netflix-gillian-anderson-asa-butterf) --- © 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/sex-education.md