Gugu Mbatha-Raw crosses paths with another predator in “The Girl Before.” The “Morning Show” star toplines the four-part HBO Max series about a woman offered the opportunity to move into a stunning, ultra-minimalist house under one condition: she must agree to follow exacting rules laid out by its architect (David Oyelowo, “The Midnight Sky”). A new trailer for the psychological thriller sees Jane (Mbatha-Raw) meeting Edward, who insists on interviewing prospective tenants personally. “We need to find the right fit,” he tells her.
While Edward claims that a housekeeper system collects data about whoever lives there to “improve the user experience,” it seems that it’s actually designed to provide him the means to spy on tenants.
When Jane feels the house starts to change in unsettling ways, she begins asking questions about the woman who lived there before her (Jessica Plummer, “EastEnders”), and the more she digs, the more frightened she becomes about her new landlord and suitor.
“Loki,” “Misbehaviour,” and “Come Away” are among Mbatha-Raw’s recent credits. She’s reuniting with her “Morning Show” co-star Reese Witherspoon on “Surface,” an Apple TV+ series about a woman trying to make sense of her past and rebuild her life following a suicide attempt. Mbatha-Raw will star in and co-executive produce the thriller, and Witherspoon is exec producing.
“The Girl Before” launches on HBO Max February 10. Lisa Brühlmann (“Killing Eve”) directed all four eps.
