High Desert
Apple TV+ | Release Date: May 17, 2023
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydMay 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: Patricia Arquette is not the only reason to watch “High Desert,” a new comic thriller premiering Wednesday on Apple TV+, but she’s the best reason, and all the reason you need. Read full review
80
The Daily BeastNick SchagerMay 12, 2023
Season 1 Review: [High Desert] is ramshackle in the right ways, led by Arquette’s tour-de-force of mad, messy, brazen desperation and determination. Read full review
78
Paste MagazineShane RyanMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: Peggy is your consummate weirdo, and Arquette nails the vibes. To watch her try to pull one over on a world that rewards sensibility is extraordinarily fun, and the rest of the show keeps pace one perfect half-step behind the viewer. Read full review
75
IndieWireBen TraversMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: What may, at times, feel like too much, always stays true to its own kooky vision, and as a showcase for Arquette (who also executive produces), “High Desert” provides an ample spotlight. It won’t be for everyone, but neither is a 75-degree Thanksgiving. Read full review
75
The PlaylistMarya E. GatesMay 12, 2023
Season 1 Review: While there’s an ensemble of kooky characters around her, this is a showcase for Arquette’s unique energy. There’s a vulnerability at her core, but also the frankness of someone who has spent most of her life operating on survival mode. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubSaloni GajjarMay 12, 2023
Season 1 Review: The show might not be everyone’s cup of tea because it demands fortitude. While the early episodes are enjoyable, High Desert shapes itself into a more insightful version over the remaining tightly paced outings. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: She may sound unbearable. She can certainly cause a cringe or two. But because she's played with such brazen, blowzy, oxygen-bogarting abandon by Patricia Arquette, Peggy is a real original. Read full review
70
Washington PostLili LoofbourowMay 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: What keeps “High Desert” from greatness (though there is hope, if it gets another season!) is a failure to unite the farcical stuff, much of which is delightful, with the deeper story. The plot starts to feel so crowded, rushed and messy that the finale (critics got all eight episodes) at times feels as if it was written by — rather than for — Peggy. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterAngie HanMay 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: High Desert’s early aimlessness evolves by midseason into a likable shagginess, warmed by a surprising amount of heart. Read full review
60
DeciderJoel KellerMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: We’re on the fence. At times, High Desert comes off as an overflowing sack of chaotic scenes passing for a story, but at other times, when it’s focused on where it’s going, it can be fun to watch. Read full review
60
VarietyAlison HermanMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: “High Desert” takes an actor in the ensemble of a more high-profile Apple project and hands them the spotlight, with mixed results. Like Crudup’s used-car-salesman vibe, Arquette’s maximal commitment turns out to work better in small doses. Read full review
60
The GuardianLucy ManganMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: That it makes sense at all is down to Arquette, whose powerful charisma draws the whole thing together. ... Otherwise, High Desert is very much a case of style over substance. It looks gorgeous, there is an endless parade of side characters, each brighter and kookier than the last, and the New Agey energy and stupidity of southern California is at least as much a presence as they are. But there is too much going on to allow the viewer to care about any of it other than Peggy herself. Read full review
60
The IndependentLouis ChiltonMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: High Desert strives for the free-flowing zaniness of an acid trip – but can’t quite conjure the accompanying profundity. As an off-beat exploration of grief, addiction, and recovery, though, it’s refreshingly easy to digest. Read full review
60
The TelegraphEd CummingMay 17, 2023
Season 1 Review: There’s lots going on. If you are looking for a calm, measured drama, High Desert is not for you. But Arquette is well cast, and her charisma propels the series through its changes of tone. Read full review
60
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoMay 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: As much as Roach gets the job done here, I wondered if Stiller might have pulled the pieces of this inconsistent effort together with a more needed flair. ... Arquette rocks here yet again, holding “High Desert” together even as it threatens to wander off into the barren TV landscape. Read full review
42
ColliderMarco Vito OddoMay 12, 2023
Season 1 Review: While the whole cast of High Desert does what they can to elevate the show, there’s only so much even the most competent actor can do when the material they have to work with is this weak. Read full review
30
Under The RadarKyle MullinMay 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: High Desert is barren of laughs, and its tone is as abrasive as a dusty California valley cactus. Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 87 Hacks: Season 5
4 87 Industry: Season 4
5 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
6 85 The Beatles Anthology
7 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
8 85 Bait: Season 1
9 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
10 83 Lord of the Flies
11 83 Riot Women: Season 1
12 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
13 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
14 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
15 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
16 80 The Mighty Nein: Season 1
17 80 The Comeback: Season 3
18 80 The American Revolution
19 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
20 80 Dark Winds: Season 4
SEE ALL