Critic Reviews

One of the best new shows of the year, Conversations With Friends proves there’s nothing inherently shallow about a story that makes space for satisfaction.

The drama does ask whether we’re being asked to squeeze ourselves into unrealistic roles. That provocation is balanced with the dreamy, golden-hued cinematography, particularly during the group’s idyllic holiday to Croatia, which makes this an utter joy to watch, as well as an audacious conversation-starter.

If you’re looking for a picture-perfect happy ending, watch a Hallmark movie instead. Conversations with Friends asks more questions than it answers, and it may very well rip out your heart and run it over with one of those mopeds you see on the streets of Dublin.

While the six hours can get bumpy in plotting (and frustrating when the story’s perceptiveness clashes with its lead’s innocence), “Conversations with Friends” paints a sophisticated psychological portrait of when youthful ambitions and adult realities come to a head.

Although the ex-lovers-turned-friends spend most of the series falling for other people, its their mutual love and will-they-won't-they relationship that provides the cornerstone of the series.

Only time will tell if Conversations will be as big as Normal People, but it makes another great argument for more hushed tenderness to crash into the zeitgeist as a way to balance the overt maximalism (Marvel, scammy biopics, even the dramatics of Bridgerton) in entertainment.

An absorbing exploration of commitment, friendship, and romantic love.

Where Normal People neatly ticked the coming-of-age box, Conversations With Friends is a post-coming-of-age tale, examining what happens when young adults begin to stray away from the cocoon-like world of education and find themselves messily thrust into the mix with the rest of us.

If you’re unfamiliar with Rooney’s work or hoping for a story with characters closer to those found in Normal People, things might not land as well. What can be expected from the show, though, is some lovely coloring and cinematography, stellar performances, well-placed music cues, and a story that lingers after the final credits have rolled.

This TV adaptation is a soap opera at heart, but its emotional intelligence elevates the show into something really worth talking about.