Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20

Critic Reviews

  1. Reviewed by: Alim Kheraj
    Aug 1, 2022
    60
    The issue with Paper Girls is how it drip-feeds exposition in an attempt to create mystery, a method that often leaves you confused. ... More casual viewers might not have the patience for Paper Girls’ somewhat chaotic narrative. Those who do stick around, however, will be rewarded with characters that have more heart than those tweens in Hawkins, Indiana.
  2. Reviewed by: Joel Keller
    Jul 29, 2022
    60
    Before the final scene of Paper Girls, we were going to give this show a big old thumbs down. But that final scene set the stage for a show that has the potential to be a fun ride, or at the very least something that’s a little different than what we’ve seen before.
  3. Reviewed by: Kathryn Porter
    Jul 29, 2022
    60
    No adaptation can be perfect, but Paper Girls really doesn’t hit the mark. The fun of the comic is lost, the pacing goes from a thousand miles an hour to a slow crawl and back again in inconsistent waves, and there are times where the show seems like it’s meant for an audience around the age of its main characters.
  4. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Jul 29, 2022
    50
    "Paper Girls" possesses a "Stranger Things"-wannabe vibe, blending coming-of-age elements, time travel, nostalgia and science fiction. The result makes for a semi-watchable Amazon series that feels a little too convoluted to satisfactorily deliver.
  5. Reviewed by: Samuel Harwood
    Jul 28, 2022
    50
    Its coming-of-age elements never really integrated into its sci-fi saga. It feels more reminiscent of teenage adventure films from the early aughts like Clockstoppers and Agent Cody Banks than the Wes Craven-esque vision of the ‘80s that its creators intend it to be.
  6. Reviewed by: Marya E. Gates
    Jul 29, 2022
    42
    Filled with cheap emotions, faux progressivism, and a story that is somehow both alarmingly thin and endlessly complicated, “Paper Girls” is full of wasted potential.
  7. Reviewed by: Clint Worthington
    Jul 28, 2022
    42
    The problem is, whether due to budgetary limits or a desire to streamline the comics, the show flattens the look and scope of the story into something decidedly dull and derivative.
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 37
  2. Negative: 8 out of 37
  1. Jul 30, 2022
    10
    Not sure what these other reviews are on about (especially the incredibly fragile rant about supposed wokeness… what?), great first season!Not sure what these other reviews are on about (especially the incredibly fragile rant about supposed wokeness… what?), great first season! Looking forward to seeing where they take season 2. Full Review »
  2. Jul 30, 2022
    10
    This a great show with a very sweet portrayal of friendship at its core, recommend
  3. Jul 29, 2022
    4
    The first episode looked cheap and uninteresting. I can't believe they packed the comic's first part (six issues) into one lousy episode.