The Girl Before - Series Review

Content Warnings: This review will address the themes portrayed in this TV series. These include physical and emotional abuse, stalking, sexual assault and miscarriage.

Created, written, and executively produced by JP Delaney, `The Girl Before' follows the story of a traumatised woman who falls in love with an extraordinary minimalist house, which remains under the spell of the architect who originally designed it, but everything may not be as it seems. The series stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Jessica Plummer and Ben Hardy. However, the main narratives focus on two different timelines as Mbatha-Raw and Plummer’s characters live in the same house four years apart.

This aspect of the timeline was challenging to follow at times because unless Mbatha-Raw’s Jane or Plummer’s Emma was in the shot, there were sometimes uncertainties as to whether it was the past or present storyline. I would have preferred the colour-grading be used to add context to the timelines. However, both actresses were brilliantly cast and gave nuanced performances throughout the series.

Personally, I didn’t find the house as magnificent as the characters. It was more of a show home, and tenants were explicitly forbidden from adding personal items or even having children or pets. Whoever chooses to live there, their life choices need to be limited or agreed upon. Enter Edward played exceptionally well by David Oyelowo. The very first shot of the show is him cleaning a red stain off the stone floor of the staircase.

Sinister foreshadowing aside, the show takes its time throughout the episodes to reveal what truly happened in that house. Written by the author and screenwriter Marissa Lestrade, explore the lead heroines' storylines through flashbacks and unreliable narrations. Viewers who haven't read the book are left to wonder whether Emma and Jane's behaviour is due to trauma or someone's dark intentions. This series tackles the aftermath of Jane's stillbirth of her daughter and Emma's assault. Both of these events happen off-screen and prior to episode one, but there are distorted flashbacks of Emma's attack, which are triggered by a police investigation and her boyfriend's questioning at home.

Regarding screenwriting, I think the portrayal of these traumas was handled with care and respect. With brilliant performances from Jessica Plummer and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, how both women dealt with their respective traumas was realistic. While Jane wants to throw herself back into work and is desperate for something normal, Emma begins to spiral when she's failed by the police system and seeks oblivion in drink and a newfound relationship.

One of my biggest criticisms of the show was the portrayal of the investigation into Emma's attack. The police concluded that the burglar (one with whom the lead investigator had a personal vendetta due to getting away with past robberies) raped Emma after finding the video evidence on her phone. But she tells Simon (Ben Hardy) that Saul (Mark Stanley) texted her the video. In that case, it would have been readily apparent to investigators that Saul was the source of the video and attacker. Jane confronts the investigating officer in the flashforward storyline as she investigates Emma's death, so it at least acknowledges the mishandling of the case. Similar to the death of Jane's baby, where it's revealed the proper medical care was the not given to the mother or child at the hospital.

Through the non-linear narrative, two stories ultimately unfold on screen. One character's untimely end and another's fight for survival. Although I wanted there to be a more apparent stylised portrayal of the two timelines, Lisa Brühlmann (known for directing Killing Eve) captured an eerie and sinister undertone in all four episodes.

Okay, now to discuss the spoilers. I usually don't do this, but as this show came out in 2021 and the original book was released in 2018 - we might as well discuss the "who done it" aspects of the show. However, if you would not like to be spoiled for the twist, watch the show and then come back to this review!

Right... All of the male characters in this show are the physical embodiments of RED FLAGS. However, they are not on the same performance level when their character's masks slip. David Oyelowo's performance as the soft-spoken architect is perfectly charming until it's revealed he has an infatuation with women who look like his dead wife - which is bad luck for Jane and Emma. They both do. That switch where he goes from sweet to frustrated, nasty or cruel was very well played. For a long time, it's a fifty-fifty split over who killed Emma and is stalking Jane - obsessive Edward or creepy tech guy (there's a whole subplot where the smart house starts acting weird, and the tech guy gives creepy vibes whenever he turns up).

Alas, it's not them. The real culprit is Simon. Ben Hardy starts the series as the unassuming nice boyfriend of Emma, who later becomes friends with Jane after Emma's death in the flashforward. He stalks Emma after their breakup and after discovering she left him for Edward - who broke up with her due to how fast she wanted to move their relationship - was the one to push her down the stairs. When it becomes apparent that Simon is also infatuated with Jane's resemblance to Emma, a dark game of cat and mouse ensues.

Ben Hardly did not have the stage presence his co-stars had. His final scenes between Plummer and Mbatha-Raw felt uneven. He lacked the range needed to portray the sinister nature of his character. That switch between nice guy to villain was necessary to stand out, but sadly it didn't.

Jane is one of the few characters who deserves a happy ending, and thankfully, she gets it. There was a healthy depiction of therapy for several of the characters throughout the show, and the ending was surprisingly satisfying for such a dark finale. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would; an excellent British thriller, and I plan to read the original novel for a comparison review.

My rating for The Girl Before (2021) is ★★★½.

The Girl Before (2021) is available to watch on the BBC IPlayer.