The Girlfriend is a new psychological thriller series on Amazon Prime Video. It is based on the novel by Michelle Frances. The show started streaming on September 10, 2025. All six episodes of the season were released at once. This allows viewers to watch the entire story without waiting weekly for new episodes.
The series focuses on a mother named Laura Sanderson. Her son Daniel brings home a new girlfriend named Cherry. Laura becomes suspicious of Cherry’s motives. She believes Cherry is a manipulative social climber. The story shows their intense conflict from both women’s points of view.
Release Date and Streaming Information
The entire first season of The Girlfriend became available for streaming on September 10, 2025. This means subscribers to Amazon Prime Video can watch all episodes anytime. The decision to release all episodes together is different from some shows that use a weekly schedule.
This approach lets viewers binge-watch the whole series. The story is designed to be consumed in one sitting. Each episode runs between 45 to 52 minutes. The total runtime for the season is about five hours.
Main Cast and Characters
The series features a strong cast led by Hollywood stars. Here are the main actors and their roles:
- Robin Wright plays Laura Sanderson. She is a successful gallery owner and Daniel’s mother. Laura is very protective of her son. She becomes obsessed with exposing Cherry.
- Olivia Cooke plays Cherry Laine. She is Daniel’s girlfriend who works in real estate. Cherry comes from a working-class background. She tries hard to fit into Daniel’s wealthy family.
- Laurie Davidson plays Daniel Sanderson. He is a medical student training to be a trauma surgeon. Daniel is caught between his mother and his girlfriend.
- Waleed Zuaiter plays Howard Sanderson. He is Laura’s husband and Daniel’s father. Howard is more accepting of Cherry than his wife is.
Other important cast members include Anna Chancellor as Lilith, Laura’s ex-lover. Shalom Brune-Franklin plays Brigitte, a childhood friend of Daniel. Karen Henthorn plays Tracey, Cherry’s mother. Leo Suter plays Nicholas, Cherry’s ex-boyfriend.
What to Expect from the Story
The story begins when Daniel introduces Cherry to his parents. Laura feels suspicious of Cherry from their first meeting. She notices small lies and strange behavior. For example, Cherry steals a bracelet from Laura’s room. She also lets Laura’s cat out of the house.
Laura starts investigating Cherry’s past. She finds out Cherry lied about her education and family background. Cherry claims she attended a prestigious school called St. Florian’s. Laura discovers this is not true. She also learns about Cherry’s violent past with her ex-boyfriend.
The series uses a unique way of storytelling. It shows the same events from both Laura’s and Cherry’s perspectives. This makes the audience question who is telling the truth. It creates a feeling of uncertainty and tension.
As the story continues, the conflict between Laura and Cherry gets worse. Laura lies to Cherry about Daniel’s death after a climbing accident. She takes Daniel to Spain to recover without telling Cherry. When Cherry finds out Daniel is alive, she confronts Laura.
The final episodes involve serious actions from both women. Cherry vandalizes Laura’s art gallery. Laura records a conversation with Cherry’s mother. She tries to use this against Cherry. The season ends with a violent confrontation that changes everything.
Key Themes and Style
The series explores several themes. It looks at the relationship between mothers and sons. It shows how grief can affect a family. Laura and Howard lost their daughter Rose when she was young. This makes Laura overly protective of Daniel.
Another theme is social class. Cherry comes from a modest background. Daniel’s family is very wealthy. Cherry feels out of place and tries to hide her past. The series also deals with manipulation and psychological games.
The visual style of the show uses color to show character changes. At first, Laura wears blue to show stability. Cherry wears red to show danger. As the story progresses, their colors switch. This shows how their roles seem to reverse.
Audience and Critical Reception
The show has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 87% approval rating. Critics praise the performances of Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke. The website’s summary says the two actresses are terrific at behaving badly.
Viewers have different opinions about the ending. Some feel the ambiguous ending is frustrating. Others think it fits the story well. The series is meant to make the audience question who is right and who is wrong.
One reviewer said:
“Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. The soundtrack is unreal – the kind that doesn’t just sit in the background but actually shapes the mood of every scene.”
Another viewer commented:
“I normally don’t do reviews but my girlfriend and I couldn’t stop watching this and binged it in 2 days! It was phenomenal! Great acting, amazing character development and you didn’t know who to love or to hate!”
Background and Production
The series is based on the novel The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances. The adaptation was created by Naomi Sheldon and Gabbie Asher. Robin Wright not only stars in the show but also directed some episodes. Andrea Harkin directed the other episodes.
Filming took place in London and Spain. Production started in June 2024. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios. It is available only on Amazon Prime Video.
The story is a psychological thriller. It focuses on the battle between two strong women. The show asks whether Laura is a protective mother or a paranoid woman. It also questions if Cherry is a victim or a manipulator.
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