HIS & HERS Review: I went into HIS & HERS expecting a standard dark Netflix mystery. You know the type: gloomy town, damaged people, one big secret. What I didn’t expect was how aggressively uncomfortable and addictive it would be once it got going.
This is a six-episode limited series based on Alice Feeney’s novel, led by Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, and it leans hard into the idea that everyone is lying. Not metaphorically. Literally. Every episode makes you rethink who you’re watching and why you shouldn’t trust them.
My Rating: 3.5/5
| Title | HIS & HERS |
|---|---|
| Platform | Netflix |
| Genre | Crime, Mystery, Psychological Thriller |
| Based On | His & Hers novel by Alice Feeney |
| Format | Limited Series |
| Total Episodes | 6 |
| Episode Runtime | ~45 minutes each |
| Language | English |
| Main Cast | Tessa Thompson, Jon Bernthal |
The Setup (Without Spoilers)
Anna (Tessa Thompson) used to be a rising news anchor. Now she’s isolated, emotionally wrecked, and living in a city that feels just as hollow as she does. When she overhears news of a brutal murder in her hometown, something in her snaps awake. She goes back—not out of nostalgia, but obsession.
Enter Detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal), who immediately treats Anna like a walking red flag. And honestly? He might not be wrong. The show constantly flips between his version of events and hers, making it painfully clear that truth is slippery—and memory is dangerous.
What Watching This Actually Feels Like
Almost no one in this show is likable. At first, that might feel like a problem. Then it becomes part of the fun.
Anna is opportunistic, impulsive, and emotionally volatile. Jack is rude, erratic, and borderline unethical. Most of the side characters feel selfish, morally compromised, or straight-up disturbing. And yet… I couldn’t stop watching them self-destruct.
The tension doesn’t come from action set pieces. It comes from conversations. From looks that last half a second too long. From scenes where you’re thinking, Why did you say that? Why did you do that? That constant sense of unease is the show’s biggest strength.
Performances That Carry the Chaos
Jon Bernthal is doing that thing he does best, mixing quiet vulnerability with barely contained aggression. One minute, he’s soft-spoken and respectful, especially with his niece or elders. Next, he’s snapping at colleagues and bulldozing through situations like a human wrecking ball.
Yes, he mumbles. A lot. Sometimes I genuinely had to rewind. But that rawness fits the character. Jack isn’t polished. He’s volatile, and you’re never sure if he’s bending rules to solve the case or to bury something.
Tessa Thompson plays Anna as someone deeply fractured. She’s not warm. She’s not charming. But she’s loaded with regret and unresolved trauma, and that weight shows in every decision she makes. You don’t always like her, but you understand her.
And when these two are on screen together? It’s toxic, biting, and weirdly electric. They insult each other, challenge each other, and share a mutual obsession with the case that keeps pulling them back into each other’s orbit.
A special shoutout to Sunita Mani, who plays Jack’s partner. She’s observant, intelligent, and painfully professional, often in contrast to Jack’s emotional chaos. Watching her navigate that dynamic felt frustrating, realistic, and quietly powerful. She was one of the few characters I genuinely rooted for.
The Mystery: Predictable… but Still Effective
I figured out the killer and the method by around episode three. And yet, I didn’t mind. Why? Because the show keeps introducing doubt. Just when you feel confident, it throws in a new perspective, a new detail, or a contradiction that makes you second-guess yourself. Even when you think you’re ahead of it, the series keeps you uneasy.
It’s not about shocking you every five minutes. It’s about sustained tension. The episodes are tight (around 45 minutes), the pacing never drags, and even the repetition, showing the same event from different angles, adds to the anxiety rather than slowing things down.
Themes Beneath the Murder
If you want a straight mystery, this works. But if you like digging deeper, there’s more here. The show touches on:
- buried trauma
- self-destructive behavior
- privilege and class
- grief and resentment
- the stories we tell to survive
None of it feels preachy. It’s just… there. Lurking under the surface, like the town itself.
Also Read: Top 10 Netflix Series of 2025: The Ones You’ll Regret Skipping
The Good & The Bad
| What Works | What Doesn’t |
|---|---|
| Strong, committed performances | Many characters are intentionally hard to like |
| Tight pacing with no filler episodes | Some reveals are guessable early |
| Effective misdirection and red herrings | Bernthal’s mumbling can be distracting |
| Dark tone that never backs down | Heavy themes may be triggering for some viewers |
| Excellent use of perspective shifts | Not a comfort watch—this is bleak |
Final Thoughts On
HIS & HERS isn’t cozy. It isn’t comforting. And it definitely isn’t subtle. It’s dark, messy, sexually charged, violent, and morally uncomfortable. There’s nudity, brutal violence, sexual assault, and a lot of profanity. If that’s not your thing, this won’t be either.
But if you like twisted mysteries filled with flawed people making terrible decisions, and a story that respects your intelligence, this is an easy binge. Even knowing where it was headed, I stayed hooked the entire way.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 This was my first experience with an Alice Feeney adaptation, and if her other stories play with perspective and psychology like this, I’m in. If you’ve read her books, drop your recommendations. I’m genuinely curious. And yeah… I absolutely watched this in one go.
