Curator Watchlist
A sharp, messy, often uncomfortable coming-of-age dramedy that became a defining HBO show of the 2010s. It’s funniest and most incisive when it leans into cringe, self-delusion, and the specific economics of early-adulthood aimlessness; later seasons are more uneven, but the series remains memorable for its voice… Read more
Where to watch: Buy
Sun
Created by: Lena Dunham
Starring: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet
The assorted humiliations, disasters and rare triumphs of four very different twenty-something girls: Hannah, an aspiring writer; Marnie, an art gallery assistant and cousins Jessa and Shoshanna.
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke, Adam Driver
A sharp, messy, often uncomfortable coming-of-age dramedy that became a defining HBO show of the 2010s. It’s funniest and most incisive when it leans into cringe, self-delusion, and the specific economics of early-adulthood aimlessness; later seasons are more uneven, but the series remains memorable for its voice and performances.
Girls is one of those shows that feels both of its moment and oddly durable. It captures the self-absorption, insecurity, and economic anxiety of early adulthood with a mix of bite and vulnerability that made it feel unusually honest, even when it was being provocative on purpose. The writing is sharpest when it treats humiliation as a form of social realism, and the ensemble gives the series a lot of texture beyond its central voice.
Its reputation is inseparable from the debate around privilege, representation, and whether its characters are meant to be sympathetic. That tension is part of the point: the show is less interested in making a case for its protagonists than in observing how they stumble through identity, work, friendship, and sex. Adam Driver’s breakout performance and the show’s willingness to sit in discomfort are major reasons it stuck.
The series is strongest in its earlier and middle seasons, when the balance between comedy and emotional damage feels most alive. By the end, it’s a little more uneven and self-conscious, but still rewarding if you’ve bought into its worldview. It’s a landmark for viewers who appreciate messy, talky, character-first TV with a distinctly modern edge.
A sharper, more compact cousin to Girls in its mix of self-sabotage, sexual candor, and emotional honesty.
A similarly intimate, funny, and painfully observant portrait of young adulthood, friendship, and identity.
If you want the New York young-adult chaos but with a looser, more buoyant comic energy.
The obvious predecessor for city-based female friendship, dating, and lifestyle anxiety, though with a more glamorous sheen.
Another HBO character study about modern intimacy, drifting ambition, and the awkwardness of adult life.
A similarly personal, conversation-heavy dramedy with a strong authorial voice and messy family dynamics.
A reflective, urban millennial dramedy that shares the show’s interest in dating, identity, and contemporary life.
For viewers who like female ensemble comedy with self-awareness, friendship friction, and a strong voice.
A New York-set mosaic of modern life that captures the city’s social texture in a similarly observational way.
Less abrasive and more aspirational, but it covers young women navigating work, friendship, and identity in a contemporary city.
A candid, funny, and emotionally grounded series about self-image, sex, and growing into adulthood.
A dark, funny relationship dramedy that shares the same taste for flawed people and uncomfortable honesty.
coming of age, friendship, identity, work and ambition, sex and relationships, millennial anxiety, self-delusion, urban life
dramedy, cringe comedy, ensemble, coming-of-age, millennial, New York City, character-driven, prestige TV, awkward humor, relationship drama