The reviews lean strongly positive. Most critics take the series as a satire of gentrification, white saviour complexes and the ethics of reality television, and most find that satire sharp rather than glib. The word that recurs is cringe: this is, by wide agreement, the most uncomfortable thing on television, and critics tend to mean it as a compliment. Emma Stone’s performance, swinging between do-gooder and narcissist, is the most consistently praised element, with Nathan Fielder’s scenarios and Benny Safdie’s tension-building credited for the creeping dread.
The reservations are about stamina. Vulture argues the opening conceit gives way to repetitive tension and threads left undeveloped, while /Film thinks it does not quite stick the landing. The Guardian goes furthest, finding it almost uniquely unpleasant to watch even while admiring its ambition. The spread is wide, from outright dismissal to near-raves, but the great majority sit at the warm end.