After 'The Girlfriend,' Stream This Olivia Cooke-Anya Taylor Joy Dark Comedy Thriller Actorsvaultpro

On September 10, 2025, Prime Video began courting viewers with The Girlfriend, a six-part psychological thriller starring Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke. The miniseries is set in the vast home owned by the wealthy Sanderson family, whose dashing son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home an edgy, suspicious romantic partner (Cooke) who immediately draws skepticism from his doting mother, Laura (Wright).

Given the salacious story, mordant humor, darkness lurking below an idyllic setting, and shocking bouts of ultra-violence, The Girlfriend evokes the vastly overlooked 2018 suburban chiller Thoroughbreds, also starring Olivia Cooke in a must-see role. Co-starring the ever-enjoyable Anya Taylor-Joy, Thoroughbreds is precisely the kind of follow-up affair to engage in once The Girlfriend is completed.

3

What Is ‘Thoroughbreds’ About?

Amanda and Lily pose by outdoor chess pieces in Thoroughbreds

Credit: Focus Features

Written and directed with sharp precision and clear vision by Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds is an acclaimed American indie dark comedy crime movie released in 2017. Marketed as American Psycho meets Heathers, the morbid and scathing satirical female coming-of-age tale follows two estranged best friends living in suburban Connecticut. The wealthy, privileged, spoiled teenage friends are Amanda (Cooke) and Lily (Taylor-Joy), who have not spent much time together since the death of Lily’s father.

When Amanda is invited to Lily’s lavish mansion to study, they rekindle their bond upon learning that Amanda’s mother had paid Lily to hang out with her, believing that Amanda has become too isolated and antisocial. Lily confides how much she hates her stepfather, Mark (Paul Sparks), and the two concoct a scheme to murder Mark with the help of a local drug runner named Tim (the late Anton Yelchin). Alas, best-laid plans backfire with grisly, unpredictable results, with the shifting alliances between the two teens culminating in a jaw-dropping twist that must be seen to be believed.

Beyond the commanding, icy performances by Cooke and Taylor-Joy, Thoroughbreds excels at spotlighting the teenage torpor, domestic rot, and numbing nihilism that young people of vast wealth and privilege sometimes struggle to reconcile. Lurking beneath the sunny idyll of Amanda and Lily’s perfect lives are two deeply broken individuals who need each other but cannot coexist without harm.

2

‘Thoroughbreds’ Mirrors ‘The Girlfriend’s Dark, Violent Tone

Amanda pulls a sword from the wall in Thoroughbreds

Despite being Finley’s feature film debut, Thoroughbreds was extolled by critics and non-critics. Both groups agree that the movie excels due to its gripping performances, sumptuous cinematography, twisty plotting, and its unique depiction of female friendship. The film holds an 87% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score and a 75 Metascore, showing its broad appeal.

Hailed for wickedly subverting teen movie conventions with caustic wit and unforeseen violence, the film has been compared to genre classics like Heathers and American Psycho, as well as more overlooked teen horrors like The Loved Ones and Stoker. Of course, with Cooke also starring in the similarly themed Girlfriend on Prime Video, her fans and followers have the perfect binge-watch this fall.

Based on the novel by Michelle Frances, The Girlfriend is a classic stalker story in the mold of a psychological thriller. The plot centers on Laura Sanderson (Wright), a wealthy art curator who is married to Howard Sanderson (Waleed Zuaiter), a successful hotelier. When their son Daniel comes home with an alluring woman named Cherry Laine (Cooke), Laura raises a suspicious eye. As Laura attempts to understand Cherry’s true intentions, her semi-obsessed, borderline inappropriate relationship with her son drastically complicates matters.

Love, jealousy, control, lust, and family trust are just a few emotional themes that develop as Cherry proves to be an unhinged stalker with a sordid past. Those who enjoy how much fun Cooke is having playing such a devious and devilish seductress in The Girlfriend will undoubtedly find her performance in Thoroughbreds equally amusing. Granted, Thoroughbreds is far more subtle, nuanced, and unpredictable, but the overwrought sleaziness and unabashed trashiness in The Girlfriend are hard to resist. Regardless, Cooke is brilliant in both.

1

Where To Watch ‘Thoroughbreds’

Lily and Amanda sit on a sofa in Thoroughbreds

While it would be most convenient if Thoroughbreds were available to stream on Prime Video once The Girlfriend is over, that’s currently not an option. Fortunately, the movie is available to stream in HD for subscribers on Fubo, Starz, Apple TV, The Roku Channel, Philo, and the HBO Max/Starz bundle.

Although Thoroughbreds may not soar to the silly operatic heights of The Girlfriend‘s soapy melodrama, the pitch-black humor, gruesome violence, and fearless performance by Olivia Cooke will give viewers a greater appreciation for her acting skills and brave willingness to play such vile characters. It’s also worth mentioning Taylor-Joy’s performance as a composed A-student whose stifling oppression and long-buried true feelings come out with ruthless ire.