If you're scrolling through the streaming platforms looking for your next binge watch, then stop right here as we've found it for you. Enter The Girlfriend, a new thriller by Robin Wright which has just landed on Amazon Prime - and has already got everyone talking.
The six-part show, which is adapted from Michelle Frances novel of the same name, follows the unconventional relationship between a protective mother and her son. The drama centres around an over protective mother Laura (Robin Wright), whose world is rocked when her son, Daniel, played by Laurie Davidson, brings home his new girlfriend Cherry, depicted in the show by Olivia Cooke.
The show follows Laura as she goes to extremes to expose who Cherry is, destroying the relationships aorund her in the process. Think sex, backstabbing and some crazy oedipal behaviour - the perfect cosy season thriller in our opinion.
The show has got everyone talking thanks to its gripping storyline. But what are the critics saying? We've broken it down...
What is The Girlfriend about?
The storyline follows protective mother Laura, a wealthy gallery owner who from the outside, seems to have the perfect life. However, her seemingly-idyllic life shatters when her son brings home a new girlfriend, Cherry, who Laura is instantly suspicious of. But what is Cherry hiding? Laura embarks on a mission to discover just that, stopping at no expense as their relationship becomes strained by lies, threats and deception. As the series shifts between multiple perspective, it's jam packed with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.
Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, called the series 'a suspenseful family drama about the collapse of a mother and son’s bond, shown through relatable themes of love, greed, and power.'
Meanwhile Robin Wright, who plays Laura, says: 'I’m thrilled to be directing and acting in this wildly delicious psychological thriller filled with plot twists and surprising character turns, and to be working with such talented actors, Olivia and Laurie, and an overall amazing cast & crew… so excited!'
What do the reviews of The Girlfriend say?
Critics are already going wild for this thriller thanks to the show's twists and turns, not to mention its bold incest storyline. The Guardian went with four stars for the show, with critic Lucy Mangan writing 'Class distinctions, the power of money, the different kinds of love we are capable of, how liberal parents should be, how emotions can warp under pressure, how desperate we can become to be believed, and how we distinguish between ambition and greed, need and desire.' She adds: 'All this is at play in The Girlfriend, which has lost little of the book’s psychological acuity and retained all of the suspense.'
NME also gave the show four stars, titling their review a 'twisting, turning mummy’s-boy thriller will keep you guessing' while The Telegraph titled theirs 'Robin Wright’s new Amazon show is the most deliciously unhinged drama since Doctor Foster.'
A review in Variety also highly praised the show's shocking twist, with Aramide Tinubu writing 'At first, the show is standard and slightly predictable fare for this type of psychological narrative. However, halfway through, “The Girlfriend” takes a jaw-dropping turn, forcing audiences to question everything they’ve learned up to that point. The twist sets off a series of sinister and shocking events, escalating the feud between the women, with Daniel caught in the middle of their horrifying escapades.'
It seemed to be four stars across the board, with The Radio Times also giving the show this rating. 'Like the source material it's based on, this series is best enjoyed for what it is: a scandalous (albeit sometimes silly) mystery, designed to be entertaining above anything else. And to that end, it's a rousing success,' writes David Craig. Ok, we're sold.
How can I watch The Girlfriend?
All six episodes of The Girlfriend are available to stream on Amazon Prime, so you'll have to be an Amazon member to watch the series.
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.