The Other Black Girl – Hulu Series Review

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL on Hulu is a new series that covers a whole slew of genres. Quite the sinister tale is told, and it pulls no punches. A wonderful cast keeps you engaged as does the story. With ten 30-minute episodes, it keeps you hooked. Read our full The Other Black Girl series review here!

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL is a new Hulu series with ten half-hour episodes that are all released on the premiere day. A very good thing as this series is so very bingeworthy. A gorgeous genre-blend that spans from comedy and drama to thriller and mystery, while there’s also a definite horror vibe to it as well.

This series (which is based on a novel) has quite a sinister story, and I love that no one is entirely good or bad. Everyone has to make decisions that may not align completely with their values. Or rather, they don’t have to, but difficult decisions are necessary if you want to get ahead in the world.

Continue reading our The Other Black Girl series review below. Find the entire mini-series on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (other countries) from September 13, 2023.

Nella is a wonderful lead character

In The Other Black Girl, we follow Nella. She’s a young African-American editorial assistant, who dreams of becoming an editor. However, she does also work at a very white NYC publishing firm. In many ways, she’s the token black girl, but that all seems to change when another black girl is hired.

If you’re part of any minority or marginalized community, you’ll know the joy of seeing someone “like you” in a place where you’re otherwise alone.

Unfortunately, the new black co-worker, Hazel, may not be the best thing for Nella. In fact, she quickly has to try and gauge if Hazel is actually a friend or foe. All while also having to deal with the number one client of her boss releasing a new book that has a very racist approach to a black female character.

To be fair, her boss – the editor, Vera – does listen to Nella, but she also knows that the income from this author is important for the company. This is a huge conflict of interest and morale for Nella, who tries to do right by both her boss, the company, and herself.

An amazing cast

Obviously, the fact that I found Nella to be a great lead character also speaks to the wonderful portrayal of the actor playing her. Sinclair Daniel is the actor portraying Nella Rogers and she does an amazing job. You really feel for her and can relate to the difficult choices she has to make.

Well, I certainly did anyway!

If Sinclair Daniel seems familiar, it’s probably because she’s just been in a movie in one of the bigger horror franchises. She was in Insidious: The Red Door where she portrayed Dalton Lambert’s college roommate Chris Winslow. Having just watched Sinclair Daniel in these two very different roles, I cannot wait to see what she does next. I’m definitely a fan already!

As the boss of Nella, we see Bellamy Young deliver a very nuanced portrayal. Vera is a good boss and often tries to help Nella. Sure, she isn’t without fault, but again, this goes back to doing what you must to get ahead. The CEO of the company, Richard Wagner, is portrayed by Eric McCormack who also delivers a very intriguing performance that I enjoyed.

As the title character of The Other Black Girl at the office, we see Ashleigh Murray as Hazel. At first, it’s very difficult to see what she’s about and it gets more confusing along the way. No wonder Nella’s best friend, Malaika, isn’t thrilled. My BS detector also went crazy the second I first saw Hazel. The best friend Malaika is played by Brittany Adebumola and I loved her no-nonsense approach to everything.

In other key roles, you’ll see Hunter Parrish (Ratched) as Nella’s boyfriend, while Garcelle Beauvais (Tell Me a Story) suddenly shows up portraying Nella’s favorite author. Also, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin from The Office) plays the author writing very racist characters, and he delivers a great performance as well. Not an easy one, but he nails it.

Watch The Other Black Girl on Hulu now!

The creators of The Other Black Girl are Zakiya Dalila Harris and Rashida Jones. The series is also based on the book “The Other Black Girl” by author Zakiya Dalila Harris, and I always love it when the author is involved with the adaption. Rashida Jones co-wrote the “Nosedive” episode that opened season 3 of Black Mirror. While still acting (like in Silo), she has been producing, writing, and directing more the past decade.

There are five directors on the ten 30-minute episodes, so each director has made two episodes. The directors are Mariama Diallo (Master), Todd Biermann (The Big Door Prize), Aurora Guerrero (The Wilds), Nefertite Nguvu (Power Book II: Ghost), and Naima Ramos-Chapman (Random Acts of Flyness).

With the episodes being just 30 minutes, you really want to give this Hulu series a shot. Well, obviously, you’ll want to watch it because it’s a really good series with a relevant and relatable story as well as a great cast. Still, having short episodes is a great way to get people to start watching. And you definitely want to watch this one!

The Other Black Girl is out on Hulu from September 13, 2023.

Details

Creators: Zakiya Dalila Harris, Rashida Jones
Cast: Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Hunter Parrish, Bellamy Young