Florence Pugh’s frown is evocative in its severity, Emilia Clarke’s eyebrows can tell you a thousand words, but what about Olivia Cooke’s smile lines and how she makes use of them in delivering the perfect expressions for a thriller about mama’s boys and the trials and tribulations of a (soon-to-be) mother-in-law who hates you? Prime Video’s new female-led psych thriller is shown through Cherry-tinted glasses, but also Laura-tinted glasses. Let me explain. The show tells the story of Danny, a doctor-in-training, who meets a young, beautiful, ambitious woman named Cherry and immediately falls head over heels for her. But here’s the thing: Daniel’s mum immediately thinks Cherry’s a gold-digger who is only after her son because of his generational wealth. Laura is ready to do anything in order to safeguard her son from this terrifying woman. But is Cherry completely innocent? Is there any truth to Laura’s suspicions? That’s the basic premise of The Girlfriend.
This is a show that perfectly toes the line between feminist and anti-feminist. Given the premise, you already know it pits one woman against the other, and specifically with a man’s love as the prize. Just like Olivia’s other popular show, or rather its predecessor, there’s an incestual subplot here somewhere, but of course, it’s not as perverse. Speaking of, if you find yourself interested in the Oedipal, this show might be your cup of tea. But let me ask you, is it “Oedipal” if it’s the mother who feels such immense love for her son that she can’t let him go? I don’t know; you tell me.
It looks like we’re a bit obsessed with the pretty thriller, i.e., shows that use their stunning female leads to do violent things, but with the motive of doing something for the ones they love. I’m immediately reminded of The Better Sister, which also, just by the title, pits woman against woman, but that’s obviously not the point here. I suppose that the idea itself is thrilling enough to make you keep watching, unlike when it’s two men who have violent tendencies even without an instigating incident, eh? I’m only joking, of course. But what I’m trying to say is that I can sense a clear pattern, and I’m not mad about it.
Prime Video TV show is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Michelle Frances. That’s another trend we don’t need to touch upon right now, but I can understand the appeal of adapting such a story, which makes for incredibly addictive TV. Of course, I’m not going to lie and tell you that this is the best piece of spicy thriller TV I’ve ever seen, but the voyeuristic nature of the plot certainly will have you wondering what’s to come next. The Girlfriend is only 6 episodes long and goes down smoothly. The pacing is slow, but in a titillating manner; it doesn’t bore you. Each episode gets split through the perspectives of both lead female characters. The same sequence repeats itself through Cherry’s point of view and then Laura’s point of view (or the other way around). This may seem like a bold choice, considering our undeniably short attention spans, but I feel like this makes you want to pay attention and look for clues or even be eager to see how things played out in the other woman’s head. I couldn’t help but point out the differences to myself. Sometimes, perspective makes all the difference.
But the thing I really want to talk about is the fashion and the use of style to represent all the characters on the show. It’s crazy to me that we’re seeing the best style moments in thriller TV rather than rom-coms, but hey, I’m not complaining at all. Cherry’s style is representative of her middle-class ambition. What I mean by this is, she’s delightfully stylish for a young woman, but she’s also bold, not just in the colors she wears, which perfectly complement her cherry red hair, but also in the silhouettes that show just enough skin to make you wonder if Laura’s right to worry. On the other hand, Laura’s style may be more mature and toned down in terms of muted colors, but her silhouettes aren’t “nun-like” or boring in any way. She’s chic but also suggestive in her style, showing us that there may be similarities between these two women, despite their entirely opposite positions. I love it when shows use clothing to represent the story.
This is a show about power play, sprinkled with a heavy dusting of perverse voyeurism that can make you want to pull your hair out. It makes you wonder how far a person will go to protect those they love. The ending will certainly leave you shocked, which I find absolutely perfect for a show such as this one. Though it’s nothing as crazy as the big twist at the end of Behind Her Eyes.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for something slightly steamy, slightly confusing, and a lot taboo, give The Girlfriend a go, because it won’t disappoint. It’s certainly presented with the female gaze in mind because there’s a reasonable explanation for a lot of what these women do, which makes it more compelling. Both Olivia Cooke and Robin Wright give incredible performances that feed off each other, just like the characters they’re playing. You can tell just by watching the show that they had fun making it. There’s oozing opulence and debauchery in this show, but it’s almost subtle, in a tantalizing way. I certainly had fun with The Girlfriend, so I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. I think half of it lies in how attractive it is to look at.
