In “The Girlfriend,” Prime Video’s latest psychological thriller, you never quite know whose perspective to trust. When Laura (Robin Wright) hears from her beloved son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) about his new romantic interest — someone he’s clearly serious about — she’s happy for him. Mostly.
Daniel is head over heels for Cherry (Olivia Cooke), but Laura can’t shake the feeling that something about her isn’t quite right. Is it a mother’s intuition, or a case of paranoia that therapy might fix? That question is exactly what keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
If you’re drawn to thrillers brimming with ambiguity, family secrets and psychological twists, you’re not alone. From deceptive romances to high-stakes family drama, there’s a whole lineup of shows like “The Girlfriend” that capture a similar mix of intrigue and unease.
‘The Gardener’
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from shows like “The Girlfriend” and “The Gardener, it’s that we should all send up a silent prayer to protect us from boy moms.” In “The Gardener”, a Spanish-language series on Netflix, Elmer (Álvaro Rico) has a unique business that he shares with his mother (Cecilia Suárez). He’s an excellent gardener, but thanks to a childhood injury that robbed him of his emotions, he’s an even more excellent hit man.
But when Elmer meets Violeta (Catalina Sopelana), he suddenly feels a rush of emotions and finds himself falling for her. The only problem? She’s his next hit — something that his overbearing mother is loath to let him forget.
Watch on Netflix
‘Bates Motel’
“A boy’s best friend is his mother,” Norman Bates opines in Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic “Psycho.” That’s so, even though Norman has already killed his mother and commits several other murders while wearing her clothes. But we only see that relationship develop in the prequel television series “Bates Motel,” starring Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga as Norman and Norma, respectively.
Norman is still just an outwardly normal teenager, although his mental health issues grow more pronounced and troubling as the seasons go by. “Bates Motel” takes you up to the point where Norman’s grip on reality slips and his “Mother” persona is fully established.
Watch on Prime Video
‘Obsession’
For those looking for more uncomfortable family dynamics, “Obsession” is an obvious choice. Another Netflix thriller, this one stars Rish Shah and Charlie Murphy as engaged couple Jay and Anna, whose relationship is upended when Jay’s father William (Richard Armitage) develops an intense attraction to Anna.
They soon begin having an affair, but things really get out of control when William becomes obsessed (as the title of the show indicates) with his soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Although “Obsession’s” four episodes premiered to middling reviews from critics, it’s a great pick for audiences who want a thriller that leans more erotic than psychological.
Watch on Netflix
‘Disclaimer’
With Alfonso Cuaron behind the camera and Cate Blanchett in front of it, it’s hard to imagine where “Disclaimer” could go wrong. Blanchett stars as Catherine, a well-known documentarian whose life is rocked to its core when a novel loosely written about her threatens to reveal events from her past she’d like to keep hidden.
Like “The Girlfriend,” “Disclaimer” plays with perspective, showing a vastly different version of events depending on whose point of view we’re given access to. Flitting back and forth between the past and the present, the truth of what actually happened to Catherine only gradually becomes clear.
Watch on Apple TV Plus
‘Game of Thrones’
Although “Game of Thrones” is high fantasy, it has a surprising amount of connective tissue with “The Girlfriend,” beyond just the involvement of Olivia Cooke, who also stars in its prequel series “House of the Dragon.” Namely, in the dysfunctional and wildly problematic relationship of the Lannister family.
In Laura’s borderline unhealthy devotion to her son, we see shades of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), whose momma bear instincts allow her to ignore her son Joffrey’s psychopathic tendencies. And like Laura, she’s similarly unimpressed by her son’s romantic partner, viewing Margaery (Natalie Dormer) with everything ranging from mistrust to outright hostility. “Game of Thrones” has a lot of other things going on in it, but one thing it’s never short on is a weird and gross family dynamic.
Watch on HBO Max