Netflix's Behind Her Eyes - TV Show Review

Behind Her Eyes is a dark and twisted tale that focuses on the relationships of four people destined to meet. The series begins with single mother Louise (Simona Brown), who finds herself falling for the mysterious stranger she meets randomly in a bar. They have a strong physical attraction right from the start, so Louise can’t figure out why this man suddenly begins to act like being with her is a crime.

Fast forward a couple of days to the beginning of Louise’s working week, where she is employed as a personal assistant to a psychiatrist. Louise and the receptionist are waiting to meet the new team member. Louise recognises that the new psychiatrist (essentially her boss) is the same man she connected with on the weekend. She panics and decides to hide instead of greeting David (Tom Bateman) and his wife. Louise then understands why David left so abruptly the night before at the bar.

But the story doesn’t truly begin until Louise accidentally pushes over a woman named Adele (Eve Hewson) on the street while returning from dropping off her son at school. Louise and the mystery woman strike up a friendship, and Louise soon finds herself being drawn further and further into these two people’s lives. What seems so innocent at first turns out to be anything but and nothing is what it seems. This is the crucial element of the story that will keep you entertained and engrossed as the series progresses.

Louise admits to her new friend Adele that she suffers from “night terrors” and sleepwalking. This presents Adele with an opportunity to bring Louise even closer by admitting her own mental health struggles. She offers Louise advice on how she can learn to control them, which Louise puts into practice. The focus shifts between characters quite often, which can be a little distracting. However, once the final character Rob (Robert Aramayo), is introduced, the story becomes even more twisted and slightly more sinister.

While the series’ dramatic elements might keep viewers entertained, it’s the mystery surrounding David and Adele that will keep you watching for sure. The dramatic theme keeps the pacing balanced and allows the story to alter course from drama to mystery seamlessly. The series features some supernatural elements that may seem out of place. You'll soon begin to understand exactly how certain characters can do what they do. The supernatural twist is completely unexpected.

Behind Her Eyes does take a risk by blending genres this way, and some viewers may not appreciate this aspect of the storyline. However, it is essential to the plot and creates tension and suspicion amongst the key characters, which is fun to watch. This series’s true appeal is how the role of the antagonist shifts between characters throughout.

The performances throughout Behind Her Eyes are outstanding, especially Brown as Louise and Hewson as Adele. This series’ creative team is impressive also with series showrunner Steve Lightfoot credited as writer and creator. Those unaware of Lightfoot many recognize his work as a writer for Hannibal, various Narcos episodes, and The Punisher.

Behind Her Eyes is a drama at its core, with both thriller and supernatural elements intertwined meticulously throughout. Those who are used to watching nothing but straight-up drama should take a look at Behind Her Eyes as they might be pleasantly surprised. Behind Her Eyes is a must-see for anyone who has read the source material or enjoys a bit of dark mystery and intrigue with the drama.

Final comments: I haven't read the book, but this adaptation is so well-done that I wish I had read the book. I am looking forward to seeing whether or not this TV show continues beyond season one, but it doesn't look like this book is part of a series, according to Goodreads.

Score - 3.5/5

Originally reviewed by Julie Gray for Keithlovesmovies.com.

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