Behind Her Eyes (Netflix 2021, Simona Brown, Eve Hewson)

Published

3 years ago

March 14, 2021

Behind Her Eyes is a British supernatural psychological thriller web series created by Steve Lightfoot, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Sarah Pinborough, that premiered on Netflix on 17 February 2021. The limited series stars Simona Brown, Tom Bateman, Eve Hewson and Robert Aramayo.

Behind Her Eyes follows the story of Louise, a single mother, whose “world is thrown off kilter when she begins an affair with her new boss David and matters take an even stranger turn when she’s drawn into an unlikely friendship with his wife Adele. What starts as an unconventional love triangle soon becomes a dark, psychological tale of suspense and twisted revelations, as Louise finds herself caught in a dangerous web of secrets where nothing and no-one is what they seem.” Tom Bateman and Eve Hewson as husband Dr. David Ferguson and wife Adele. Much of the first part of the drama has you wondering just why David is so controlling with Adele.

critical notes

Critical reception was mostly on the negative side. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 61% approval rating for the first season with an average rating of 5.65/10, based on 29 reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Behind Her Eyes’ many twists may be unexpected, but limited character development also leaves them feeling unearned – still, it may be just bonkers enough to keep forgiving viewers entertained.” On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.

The Guardian stated in their review of the series, “Who knew threesomes could be so boring?”, giving the series a 2 star rating.

Rolling Stone stated “Netflix’s new erotic thriller self-destructs with a series of needlessly crazy twists”. The Independent gave the series a 2 star rating, stating “One bizarre twist can’t make up for the yawning lulls”.The Irish Times gave a mostly negative review stating “You may be charmed. Or it’s possible you will wonder why you wasted six hours of your life.” Patrick Cremona from Radio Times said of the series, that it “flits from the bland to the bizarre without being particularly convincing or compelling”.

cast

Eve Hewson as Adele Ferguson (née Campbell)
Tom Bateman as Dr. David Ferguson
Simona Brown as Louise Barnsley
Robert Aramayo as Rob Hoyle
Tyler Howitt as Adam
Georgie Glen as Sue
Nichola Burley as Sophie
Roshan Seth as Dr. Sharma
Nila Aalia as Geeta Sharma

production details

Created by Steve Lightfoot
Based on Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
Directed by Erik Richter Strand
Composer: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Executive producers: Steve Lightfoot, Eliza Mellor, Suzanne Mackie, Andy Harries, Jessica Burdett
Cinematography: Felix Wiedemann
Editors: Amy Hounsell, Brenna Rangott
Running time: 47–53 minutes
Production companies: Sony Pictures Television, Left Bank Pictures
Distributor: Netflix
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Original language: English
No. of episodes: 6

Alastair James is the editor in chief for Memorable TV. He has been involved in media since his university days. Alastair is passionate about television, and some of his favourite shows include Line of Duty, Luther and Traitors. He is always on the lookout for hot new shows, and is always keen to share his knowledge with others.