*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“It feels like it’s waiting for someone…”

The Girl Before originally premiered back in December 2021 on BBC One, but released on HBO Max on February 10th 2022. The limited series based on the book of the same name stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessica Plummer, David Oyelowo and Ben Hardy. There are four episodes in total, which are all available to stream on HBO Max. Each episode runs for approximately 58-60 minutes.

A woman moves into a modern day dream home with an interesting set of rules, as she soon begins to unlock secrets from the past that may put her life in immediate danger.

Here is the trailer:

The Girl Before presents us with a stunning setting and a thrilling mystery that will keep you guessing. Is it worthy of your next binge-watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

An apartment to die for…

I love when a mystery/thriller series has a setting that is just as interesting and layered as the characters. The modern apartment is stunning and sleek, but it has so many interesting features and rules, which really helped generate such an unsettling vibe throughout the series. 

Believable performances.

I thought that Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jessica Plummer were both so electric on screen. I felt their pain and rooted for them whenever possible. They portrayed real women in a type of thriller that didn’t stray too much from the ordinary, which made this series that much more horrifying and powerful for me. 

Unpredictable.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, this show threw me for a complete loop in the best possible way. If you’re looking for a steamy thriller that you can easily binge-watch, you’re in the right place. 

I also really loved the way the story unfolded between the past and the present, which is not always easy to nail. This can sometimes become confusing, but the different timelines worked seamlessly, luring me in that much more.

The Cons:

Pacing issues at times…

The show took a little while to get going for me and had some pacing issues here and there. After a while, I was completely hooked, but I’m wondering if this might have been better suited as a movie to remove some of the excess fluff.

That being said, I think the pace picks up enough to make this very easy to binge-watch over the weekend.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!

If you’re looking for your next guilty-pleasure thriller, you’ve found it! The past and present story-lines centered around the stunning piece of architecture are really intriguing and there are plenty of moments and reveals that will shock you in the best possible way.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Girl Before in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

This competition is killer…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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