Review: 'His & Hers'

Arts & Entertainment

By Zoe Hare

His & Hers, Netflix’s psychological mystery thriller, tries to blend a marriage drama with small-town murder investigation to create a plot full of twists — built for binge-watching. Available in early 2026, the six-episode limited series is adapted from the 2020 novel by Alice Feeney.

Though the book took place in the United Kingdom, the television adaptation recontextualizes the story in Georgia, anchoring its suspense in a decidedly Southern American landscape. The show focuses on estranged couple Anna Andrews, a struggling journalist, and Detective Jack Harper, who find themselves mired in a murder case

that leaves them forced to reckon with both the crime and the shattering of their own relationship.

The series was created for television by William Oldroyd and showrunner Dee Johnson, and is produced by successful executive producers like Jessica Chastain. The cast features Anna Tessa Thompson and Jack Jon Bernthal. Thompson also serves as executive producer, providing another level of creative investment to her work. As talented in all capacities, behind the camera and in front of the camera, the series certainly

warranted high expectations, not least considering Netflix’s success lately with short, suspense-driven limited series.

At the heart of His & Hers is perspective and trust. As the plot frequently moves from one of Anna’s perspective to Jack’s, a kind of unreliable narration is introduced as this helps the film’s audience question what lies beyond the line, what is true and what is artificial. The kind of structure also serves to make this work in every direction, for its own sake at least one of its most powerful features. It is constantly keeping viewers guessing and generating a continuous sense of distress. The limited episode count serves the show’s interest since most of the story proceeds fairly rapidly and can be completed in a

weekend.

Thompson brings a multifaceted performance, portraying Anna’s fragility, ambition and potential deception, while Bernthal infuses Jack with intensity and moods. Their individual roles are compelling enough, though, so that, even when the plot starts to put credibility to the test, everyone is kept on that roll. But the show is not without notable flaws. Critics have rated the show as being either mixed or quite negative, usually citing issues with pacing and story line logic. As closely constructed as the series’ mystery is, there is no doubt that in many ways the most suspenseful plot elements seem manufactured, some seem contrived, and some of the major characters’ choices are more concerned with shock value than an entirely credible motivation.

The finale in particular has divided viewers. Some like the show’s audacity and sense of surprise, while others criticize it for being an undeserved departure from the psychological premise established early on in the series. It also grapples with weighty issues of trauma, betrayal and emotional coercion, but hasn’t always dealt with them with the kind of nuance they need. As a result, moments which the audience in particular might have expected to be deeply impactful can rather sometimes become just a bit melodramatic. Although critically skeptical, audience response to the series is now somewhat lively in regard to coverage.

The series rapidly rose among all its competitors—its marketing skills, the talent of the stars and something that gives the story a twist became highly successful points in Netflix streaming charts. Online conversation suggests a split in response: some fans laud the addictive quality and endless foreshadowing, while others are frustrated at the storytelling inconsistencies. That divergence points to a greater problem with streaming television, which does not work in the sense that people just tune in and the streaming will hit new notes universally.

Yet at its core His & Hers is an ambitious, if flawed thriller. It features spirited performances, a quick tempo and enough twists to make a mystery thriller fun to watch, but one that has some problems with coherence and tonal balance. For the other students, whether the series is good to watch largely is a taste.

Someone whodunit-ish with a strong interest in psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators and big dramatic turns of events will most likely like the show and find it fun to watch. Viewers who prefer tight little mysteries with perfect logic and subtle character arcs in mind can be disappointed, on the other. It has its value as one of those conversation starters, or a binge between assignments if not the most satisfying thriller of the year.