Review: Behind Her Eyes

Airing on Netflix on 17th February, the Behind Her Eyes is a must-see series. The six-part psychological thriller is based on Sarah Pinborough’s 2017 novel, which director Erich Richter Strand brings cleverly to life. What began as an innocent kiss at a bar between two strangers, Louise (Simona Brown) and David (Tom Bateman), soon turns complicated. When Louise arrives at work, a plush psychiatrist’s practice, she shockingly realises her new boss is the stranger from the bar, who is also a married man.

David’s wife Adele (Eve Hewson), a beautiful but unhinged woman, ‘accidentally’ bumps into Louise outside of the office. Adele quickly makes it her mission to forge a friendship with Louise, behind David’s back. Their shared ‘night-terrors’ and anxiety forge a stronger friendship as they feel a shared sense of struggle. Despite the dark twists, the characters’ ambitions are mostly universal. Everyone wants to be loved, to have a home, and to live a comfortable life. Wouldn’t you do anything to secure that?

The astonishing twist will make you want to re-watch the entire series with a new perspective

The first couple of episodes are relatively slow paced which was not helped by rather uninspiring dialogue between some of the characters. What could initially be thought of as poor script writing or rigid acting turns into a very purposeful and clever plot twist which starts to be unveiled in episode four. The plot twist is so surprising that it created a surge of twitter hashtags, with viewers posting #WTFTHATENDING! The astonishing twist will make you want to re-watch the entire series with a new perspective.

There are no obvious hints of the ending as the drama unfolds, although there are many subtle indications created by cinematographic genius. There is much foreshadowing when you look back on the series, yet I doubt anyone could predict the ending.

In flashbacks, we see Adele in a mental institution where she befriends a gay working-class junkie from Glasgow, Rob (Robert Aramayo). Adele is more animated in these flashbacks with Rob, as she cannot contain her laughter. Even in flashbacks with David, they convincingly portray young lovers who struggle to keep their hands off each other. This is a stark contrast to the cold and distant marriage we see in the present day. The big question is: what happened to Adele to make her such a manipulative character?

Class and racial divides are themes of the series despite not being explicitly discussed. Louise and Adele live contrasting lifestyles, as Louise is a single black mother struggling to keep her head above water, whilst Adele is an upper-class white housewife. Rob and Louise are clearly in awe of Adele’s wealth given their amazement at her lavish houses. Rob expresses his jealousy of her comfortable lifestyle as someone who has come from a rough estate. Adele, in contrast, has the desired lifestyle, yet she seems deeply unhappy with her marriage. Eventually, love becomes more desirable, as it is clear that attaining wealth did not bring happiness for Adele or David.

Whether you love or hate the incredibly bold ending, you will certainly be left wanting to talk about it

What is notable is each character’s dissatisfaction with their lives and their intense desire to escape. David desires to escape his marriage, Rob desires to escape to a wealthier lifestyle, Louise desires companionship and Adele desires to be loved. They all seek what each other has: wealth, love and happiness. Jealousy entangled with desire is what drives the dark plot twists. Rob explicitly expresses his craving to live in Adele’s shoes: ‘That’s what Adele is. An escape from my life.’ Hope and desire can often turn into dangerous emotions, driving the characters to do unthinkable things.

The series further explores other fascinating themes: drugs, mental-illness, infidelity, identity, and the way we betray each other and ourselves. Behind Her Eyes is a riveting watch, made more enthralling by the obscure plot twists. Whether you love or hate the incredibly bold ending, you will certainly be left wanting to talk about it.