The Girl Before is a show with its first season released on Netflix in 2021. It is a psychological thriller about Jane’s intelligent young PR executive and what she experiences after moving into a new home with strange rules. Though the strict rules imposed on the tenants are unusual and weird from the beginning, the truth behind all this plan is much more shocking and horrifying than what Jane had expected. The default language is English.
Stream It Or Skip It?
For people who love psychological thrillers, The Girl is a must-watch. The show narrative weaves a perfect story with elements of suspicion, surprise, fear, and the tussle between one’s probable fate and will. The story unravels in layers, and the truth is more shocking than imagination.
Viewers who enjoy the excellent old tussle between what a person wants and what lies stored for them in future will also find elements of interest in it. It also has specific sections that might be appealing as a brilliant showcase of the art of cinematography, while to some other viewers, they might appear eerie and unsettling.
The Girl Before, however, has received a bunch of criticisms as it has failed to fulfil the viewers’ expectations. Some film critics have noted in their reviews that the film had enough potential to become something unique and breathtaking but has ended up being a show with little uniqueness to offer to its audience. Specific viewers may also find The Girl Before unconvincing at a particular turn of plots as it requires a lot of intentional suspension of disbelief there.
What’s The Story About?
The Girl Before (2021) has a plot that begins to unfold as a young, intelligent and daring PR executive moves into a modern house with a highly minimalist set-up. The building was designed by a half-creepy half-interesting architect named Edward Monkford.
He owns the house but lives somewhere else. He is very picky about tenants. Armed with questionnaires and interviews, he faces the potential tenants the agent brings to him. As Jane agrees to the insane 200 rules, she learns that she’s the first one to move in there in the last three years. Soon she discovers about the last tenants of the building- a young couple. Emma and Simon had moved in after an accident, and it was in this house that Emma had died. This is where the narrative branches into the other layer.
Years back, when Emma and Simon had moved in, they weren’t exactly fit for this ultra-minimalist space. They lived no spartan life, and Emma was messier than that set of rules would have demanded. They got to stay there despite that mainly because Edward was attracted towards Emma.
Jane, the new tenant, was a lookalike of Emma to some extent, and this apparent coincidence makes her try to find out more about the Girl who lived there earlier. She’s afraid of facing the same fate as Emma. However, to know what happens to her ultimately, you have to watch The Girl Before.
Where To Watch?
The Girl Before can be watched on BBC One and HBO Max. The first season has four episodes. The trailer was out on 3rd December 2021 and is available on YouTube. The mini-series was aired on 19th December 2021.
Who’s In It?
It is directed by Lisa Brühlmann and created byJ.P. Delaney, who also happens to be the writer of the 2016 novel with the same name from which the series is adapted. The casting includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Jane, David Oyelowo as Edward, Jessica Plummer as Emma, and Ben Hardy as Simon.
So, if you are looking for a mini-series to enjoy once or love psychological thrillers, The Girl Before can be an experience worth having.
