The Girlfriend

:

Season 1
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19

Critic Reviews

  1. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    Sep 10, 2025
    50
    The extent of Cherry’s apparent psychosis is a mystery, but she’s also made to seem sympathetic, and not in a pity-the-poor-madwoman fashion. Laura is awful, even in her own version of events, which is part of the confusion in “The Girlfriend.” There’s no one to root for. But we’re not sure why.
  2. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Carla Meyer
    Sep 8, 2025
    50
    “The Girlfriend” is a struggle to get through, despite its relatively low episode count.
  3. Looper
    Reviewed by: Akos Peterbencze
    Sep 8, 2025
    50
    There's a limit to how long Olivia Cooke and Robin Wright can entertain with their tremendous acting chops — and they're truly terrific — before the truth inevitably comes to the surface. .... When the finale arrives, you feel like you've been cheated and set up for a climax that fails to deliver on any level. The final note the show ends on feels as if it was ripped from some of the worst psychological thrillers from the '90s.
  5. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Jesse Hassenger
    Sep 10, 2025
    40
    The fraught hot girl/mother-in-law relationship deserves better than this wannabe cheek. It’s a shame, watching what could have been the cleverest stalker picture in ages, converted into a five-and-a-half-hour sprawl.
  6. Screen Rant
    Reviewed by: Mary Kassel
    Sep 10, 2025
    40
    In its attempts to be scary, sexy, and shocking in equal measure, The Girlfriend succeeds in confusing the viewer and presenting a narrative that escalates for seemingly no reason.