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.