Parents' Guide to The Girlfriend

A rivalry between a mom and a girlfriend spins out of control in this twisty, mature drama told alternately from the point of view of each one. Laura liked things the way they were, when she was the only woman in her son's life; Cherry wants to cast off her working-class existence and enter a more affluent one, and her boyfriend's jealous, vengeful mom is only one of things holding her back. As The Girlfriend switches back and forth between their viewpoints, it goes over the same set of events, and we quickly see how and why each misunderstands the other and feels aggrieved and attacked. We also understand that each, in her own way, is a bit of a monster, even if she has reasons for being that way. It all adds up to a gripping, mesmerizing drama in the vein of Big Little Lies or The White Lotus, with flawed characters making small errors in judgment that spiral into big problems with equally big consequences.

Throughout, Robin Wright is wonderful to watch, even if her actions are sometimes terrible to behold. She's so smart and canny that it's hard not to relate to her, though her envy of her son's love life leads her to some very uncomfortable choices. Olivia Cooke may not be as familiar to viewers (she's best known for her role in Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon), but she can hold her own with Wright, on-screen and in the story; she's sympathetic even when she, too, is letting her insecurities and her dislike of Laura lead her to bad behavior. Watching these two clash is great fun, the very definition of binge-worthy drama.