Review: The Girlfriend - Is it Worth Watching? + Key Differences from the Book

The Girlfriend is a six-episode psychological thriller miniseries released on Prime Video in September 2025. It is based on the bestselling novel by Michelle Frances.

Starring and directed by Robin Wright, the cast also features Olivia Cooke, Laurie Davidson, Waleed Zuaiter, Tanya Moodie, Shalom Brune-Franklin, and Anna Chancellor.

Laura (Robin Wright), a woman with an apparently perfect life, sees her world begin to unravel when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) introduces his new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke). Laura becomes convinced that Cherry is an ambitious social climber, while the central question is whether her suspicions are justified or simply the result of paranoia.

Official Trailer

Differences Between the Series and the Book (with spoilers)

The series stays true to the essence of Michelle Frances’ thriller but introduces significant changes to heighten the drama, adjust the pacing, and better fit the television format.

Change in Characters’ Ages

Series: Daniel and Cherry are portrayed as being close to 30, with more established careers. This makes Laura’s interference in Cherry’s professional life seem even harsher, since Cherry has been working in her field for longer.

Book: They are about 24 and 25, still at the start of adulthood and their careers.

Howard’s Character (The Father)

Daniel’s father and Laura’s husband undergoes a major change in the series.

Series: He is shown as a more present, balanced, and caring husband, acting as the voice of reason and trying to contain Laura’s paranoia and excesses. This makes him much more sympathetic and easier for viewers to root for.

Book: Howard is distant, absent, and unfaithful.

The Nature of Daniel’s Accident

The incident that puts Daniel in danger and intensifies the conflict between the women differs.

Series: The accident takes place during a dangerous climb. This change highlights Cherry’s protective side, as she tries to save him and is cleared of responsibility for the fall, despite Laura’s attempts to suggest otherwise.

Book: Daniel is injured during a rafting trip.

Focus on Cherry’s Character

Series: Cherry is portrayed as more affectionate and seeking acceptance, though her true intentions remain unclear. This adds depth to her character and keeps viewers questioning who the real villain is.

Book: Cherry is depicted more directly as an ambitious social climber, with her interest in Daniel strongly tied to his wealth and status.

The Ending

Series: Laura dies in the final confrontation with Cherry. The story then jumps forward a year, showing Daniel and Cherry together and happy, with Cherry pregnant and getting along with her father-in-law.

Book: In the climax, Cherry dies in a fight with Laura, which stems from Laura’s lie that Daniel had died.

The greatest strength of the series lies in its use of dual perspectives. In one scene, the viewer follows Laura’s point of view, interpreting Cherry’s gesture as calculated manipulation. In the next, however, the same dialogue or event is replayed from Cherry’s perspective, where it comes across as an attack from her mother-in-law or a desperate attempt to defend herself.

This constantly pushes the audience to question the truth. Is the daughter-in-law a dangerous social climber, or is the mother-in-law simply paranoid and controlling? It is a psychological “mind game” that challenges the viewer’s own perception.

The constant tension and well-crafted psychological suspense keep audiences engaged through all six episodes, while the series also explores themes such as suffocating motherhood, manipulation in relationships, and the difficulty of dealing with ambition.

By delivering a definitive conclusion while still leaving a few loose ends, the series cleverly reinforces the theme of ambiguity and invites viewers to keep questioning who the true villain is.

It fits into the same niche as other shows that explore unreliable perspectives and moral ambiguity, such as The Affair (2014), which depicts events through the conflicting viewpoints of its protagonists, or You (2018), where the distorted perspective of the main character dominates the narrative.

The series has been well received by critics, who describe it as an addictive and engaging psychological thriller.

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% approval from 42 critic reviews and 72% approval from over 100 audience ratings.

IMDb: 7.2/10 from 8,800 ratings.

Letterboxd: 3.6/5 stars from 11,000 ratings.

The series leaves you feeling paranoid and unsure of who to trust. It is a true hall-of-mirrors experience that makes you question your own judgment. Each episode ends with you reconsidering both perspectives and wondering whose side you are on.

Although it stands out more for its execution and intensity than for the originality of its plot, this gripping and thought-provoking psychological thriller is definitely worth watching.

See you next time!