---
title: "The Girlfriend"
year: 2025
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-girlfriend"
fi1m_id: "the-girlfriend"
imdb_id: "tt32267726"
tmdb_id: 253376
wikidata_id: "Q127608901"
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-12T19:13:36.395821+00:00"
region: "US"
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."
---

# The Girlfriend (2025)

Created by Naomi Sheldon, Gabbie Asher · MPA TV-MA · Drama, Mystery

## Identity

The Girlfriend

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/the-girlfriend
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** the-girlfriend
- **IMDb ID:** tt32267726
- **TMDB ID:** 253376
- **Wikidata ID:** Q127608901
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32267726/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/253376, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127608901

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 77 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Robin Wright treats her son’s love life as a job nobody else is qualified to do

> Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke make this family feud worth following, even when the plotting becomes predictable. The shifting viewpoints keep it lively; thin supporting characters and increasingly outlandish behaviour stop it becoming much more than enjoyable melodrama.

## Synopsis

Laura Sanderson (Robin Wright) is a mother with strong views about her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) and his relationship with Cherry Laine (Olivia Cooke). As Laura and Cherry clash, their accounts of what happens put Daniel’s family life and his romance in different lights. Suspicion, jealousy and the wish to stay in control drive a conflict in which each woman has her own version of events. Adapted from a novel by Michelle Frances, this six-part drama follows the mother and the girlfriend through shifting perspectives, asking how much either account can be trusted.

## Review

*The Girlfriend* is good, enjoyably excessive television, provided a family feud is enough to keep us watching for six episodes. Adapted from Michelle Frances’s novel, it puts a mother and her son’s girlfriend into a contest that grows less reasonable as it goes along. Directors Robin Wright and Andrea Harkin understand that the pleasure lies in watching these women take each other seriously long after sensible people would have stopped. The suspense works best when it concerns who is misreading whom, rather than what extraordinary thing might happen next.

Wright plays Laura Sanderson, whose concern about Daniel’s relationship has the force of an objection that ought to settle the matter. We were surprised by how funny we found Laura’s possessiveness. Wright plays her certainty that Cherry is a problem so firmly that there seems barely any space left for Daniel to have an opinion. The hostility remains uncomfortable, but the humour comes from recognising how easily a parent’s concern can become an excuse to interfere.

Olivia Cooke, as Cherry Laine, keeps that performance from taking over. There is enough resistance in her playing for the conflict to feel like an encounter between two people, even when their next clash becomes easy to predict. The shifting viewpoints help: conduct that seems clear enough from one woman’s account becomes less simple through the other’s. Cooke makes those changes worth watching, though the format can grow repetitive once we have learnt to expect a second account.

Cinematographer Mattias Nyberg and production designer Niamh Coulter supply the gloss and lavish surroundings, and the polish suits a drama so willing to let its characters misbehave. The setting makes the women’s hostility seem particularly disruptive amid all that comfort. It is an effective choice, although the handsome presentation sometimes promises more psychological detail than the writing supplies. Ruth Barrett’s music makes less of an impression. We remember the friction between the leads more clearly than anything the score contributes.

Laurie Davidson is Daniel Sanderson, the son at the centre of the dispute, and he gets considerably less to work with. The writing needs to make his importance to both women feel particular; too often, being the son and the boyfriend is his whole job. The supporting characters have much the same problem, with little to distinguish them once their place in the conflict is established. We wanted Daniel to have more to do than give the two leads a reason to quarrel.

The plot is familiar, and changing the viewpoint does not make every development a surprise. As the behaviour escalates, the women lose some of the complexity that made their early hostility interesting. Wright and Harkin keep the melodrama entertaining, but the psychological thriller needs motives we can believe for longer. We kept watching for the performances, with diminishing interest in the mystery itself. Choose it for an evening when reasonable behaviour would be a disappointment.

*Fi1m score 78, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find The Girlfriend an entertaining, knowingly excessive psychological thriller, with praise centred on Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke as the mother and girlfriend locked in a struggle for control. Their chemistry and increasingly unrestrained performances give the glossy family melodrama much of its appeal. The shifting viewpoints also win broad approval for making sympathies uncertain, exposing possessiveness and prejudice, and keeping the central conflict lively even when the behaviour becomes extravagant.

The reservations concern how much surprise and substance sit beneath that polish, rather than whether the series entertains. The Hollywood Reporter finds the plot predictable but the acting sufficiently enjoyable, while The AV Club points to bland supporting characters and a shortage of startling twists. The spread is fairly narrow: even Paste’s more qualified response praises the leads and the fun, though it finds that escalating ridiculousness costs the drama nuance.

## Straight answers

**Is The Girlfriend worth watching?**

*The Girlfriend* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a well-acted family feud told from two sides, and we scored it 78. Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke keep the mother-and-girlfriend contest lively across six episodes, though the plotting grows predictable and the supporting characters stay thin. Choose it for melodrama rather than a mystery that holds up.

**How long is The Girlfriend, and what is it rated?**

*The Girlfriend* is rated TV-MA by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and mystery series.

**Where can I watch The Girlfriend in the US?**

*The Girlfriend* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

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

*The Girlfriend* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is for older teenagers and adults rather than children. The unease comes from hostility, suspicion and increasingly unreasonable behaviour between two women rather than from violence or horror, and we found some of the possessiveness uncomfortable. Squeamish viewers should be fine; anyone expecting jump scares will find none.

**How does The Girlfriend compare to Rebecca?**

*The Girlfriend* and [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) both follow a newcomer entering a household that does not want her, but they differ in tone and quality. Hitchcock's film is the more unsettling and the more precise, making insecurity feel dangerous; *The Girlfriend* is glossier, funnier and more excessive, with its shifting viewpoints doing the work the older film does through atmosphere. Choose *Rebecca* for lasting unease, *The Girlfriend* for an evening of enjoyable misbehaviour.

**Is The Girlfriend based on a true story or a book?**

*The Girlfriend* is based on a novel by Michelle Frances, not on a true story. The series keeps the book's contest between a mother and her son's girlfriend and tells it through the two women's competing accounts. You do not need to have read the novel to follow it; the shifting viewpoints do the explaining on screen.

**What should I watch after The Girlfriend?**

After *The Girlfriend*, try [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) (1940, Fi1m 85): Another newcomer finds an established household unwilling to make room for her. Then [*Notes on a Scandal*](https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal) (2006, Fi1m 75): Two formidable performances make jealousy and manipulation horribly absorbing company; and [*Doctor Foster*](https://film.one/tv/doctor-foster) (2015, Fi1m 75): A domestic feud that understands how suspicion can become an occupation.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **The Telegraph** (85/100, inferred): The review calls the series an irresistible thriller featuring deliciously unhinged mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law conflict in a lavish setting. It highlights the strong chemistry between the leads and the entertaining escalation of the twisted family drama. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/the-girlfriend-prime-video-review/)
- **Evening Standard** (80/100, inferred): The review lauds the high-gloss, high-stakes miniseries as high-camp melodrama at its best that hooks viewers immediately. It singles out the intense central performances and the intoxicating clash between the poised mother and the disruptive girlfriend. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/the-girlfriend-prime-video-review-olivia-cooke-robin-wright-b1246511.html)
- **Radio Times**, David Craig (4/5): The critic finds it the most fun drama series of the year thanks to its scandalous mystery and entertaining qualities. They praise the superbly executed dual perspectives that shift allegiances and the strong performances from Wright and Cooke, while noting the bleak ending feels slightly deflating after the gleeful ride. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-girlfriend-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as a stylish, steamy oedipal thriller that pushes a mother-son-girlfriend love triangle to extremes with shifting perspectives and twists. She singles out its playful handling of unreliable narrators and family dynamics for particular note. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/06/the-girlfriend-warning-this-sexy-oedipal-thriller-may-be-too-shocking-for-vanilla-viewers)
- **Variety**, Aramide Tinubu (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a wild, thrilling ride about manipulation, control and jealousy that keeps viewers guessing with its perspective-shifting structure and jaw-dropping twists. They single out the dynamism and performances of Cooke and Wright as what separates it from similar shows. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/the-girlfriend-review-robin-wright-olivia-cooke-1236506439/)
- **The Times**, Tim Glanfield (75/100, inferred): The critic describes the show as a twisty, tense and addictive psychological thriller full of sex, lies and unhinged behaviour. It praises the central clash and the guilty-pleasure appeal of the high-stakes drama. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-girlfriend-review-robin-wright-gets-bonkers-in-this-addictive-thriller-h0h8n7pgb)
- **The AV Club**, Christina Izzo (B-): The critic praises the juicy interpersonal drama and dual-perspective format highlighting prejudice and possessiveness but finds the supporting characters blandly written and the story lacking startling twists. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-girlfriend-review-tv-prime-video)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (70/100, inferred): The critic says delicious acting elevates a predictable plot in this amusingly nasty thriller, with the dual perspectives and escalating power struggle providing the main appeal. They single out Wright and Cooke’s unhinged performances for praise while noting the soapy nonsense is knowingly silly and fun. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-girlfriend-review-robin-wright-olivia-cooke-amazon-1236365414/)
- **IndieWire**, Proma Khosla: The review focuses on the tension and war between the protective mother and her son's new girlfriend in this psychological thriller adaptation. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/the-girlfriend-review-olivia-cooke-robin-wright-1235150193/)
- **Collider**, Therese Lacson (8/10): The stylish, twist-filled thriller keeps viewers on edge with its perspective-switching format and excellent chemistry between Olivia Cooke and Robin Wright. Supporting characters are underdeveloped and the ending feels slightly unnecessary. [Read](https://collider.com/the-girlfriend-prime-video-review-olivia-cooke-robin-wright/)
- **NME**, Nick Levine (80/100, inferred): The series is a taut, twisty psychological thriller that keeps viewers guessing through dual perspectives in each episode. It succeeds thanks to strong performances from Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke and enough psychological intrigue to elevate its campy elements. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/the-girlfriend-review-olivia-cooke-robin-wright-3891230)
- **Paste**, Lacy Baugher Milas (6.8/10): The stars deliver strong performances in this melodramatic thriller that plays with perception through dual viewpoints, but it grows overly ridiculous and loses nuance as the plot twists escalate. It remains entertaining trashy fun despite feeling familiar. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/amazon-prime-video/the-girlfriend-review)

## Details

- **Created by:** Naomi Sheldon, Gabbie Asher
- **Creator:** Naomi Sheldon, Gabbie Asher
- **Director:** Robin Wright, Andrea Harkin
- **Writer:** Polly Cavendish, Helen Kingston, Polly Cavendish, Naomi Sheldon, Isis Davis, Smita Bhide, Gabbie Asher, Ava Wong Davies, Marek Horn
- **Novel:** Michelle Frances
- **Cinematography:** Mattias Nyberg
- **Music:** Ruth Barrett
- **Production design:** Niamh Coulter
- **Costume design:** Joanna Johnston
- **Producer:** Jonathan Cavendish, Caroline Norris
- **Cast:** Robin Wright as Laura Sanderson; Olivia Cooke as Cherry Laine; Laurie Davidson as Daniel Sanderson; Waleed Zuaiter as Howard Sanderson; Karen Henthorn as Tracey Laine; Tanya Moodie as Isabella Russell-Bailey; Shalom Brune-Franklin as Brigitte Russell-Bailey; Anna Chancellor as Lillith Greenway
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 10 September 2025
- **Genres:** Drama, Mystery
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGdid_6V5s

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: free, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

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

## If you liked this

- *Rebecca* (1940), Fi1m 85: Another newcomer finds an established household unwilling to make room for her. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rebecca.md)
- *Leave Her to Heaven* (1945): For another polished domestic thriller where possessiveness makes romance distinctly unsafe.
- *La Cérémonie* (1995): For class resentment inside a comfortable household, with less room for laughter.
- *Notes on a Scandal* (2006), Fi1m 75: Two formidable performances make jealousy and manipulation horribly absorbing company. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal.md)
- *Doctor Foster* (2015), Fi1m 75: A domestic feud that understands how suspicion can become an occupation. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-foster.md)

---
© 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/the-girlfriend