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Wanderlust

Wanderlust

2018Ended1 season6 episodes~60 min/epNot RatedMidcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

Joy Richards is a therapist trying to find a way to keep the spark with her husband, Alan, after a cycling accident causes her to reassess their relationship. As family, friends, neighbours and clients live their lives, stories of love, lust and forbidden desire emerge.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Wanderlust?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Wanderlust streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about Wanderlust?

Wanderlust earns 4 badges, led by Standout acting and Hopeful.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Wanderlust worth watching?

Wanderlust's Midcredits score is the 44th percentile of all shows, from 6.6K ratings across 2 sources. 73% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

44th percentile

Better received than 44% of shows

42nd percentile among Comedy43rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)35th
Approval (how many liked it)55th

Acclaim

Broadly Agreed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

67 /100

35th percentile of all shows

34th percentile among Comedy34th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.2 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

73% liked it

55th percentile of all shows

49th percentile among Comedy54th percentile among 2010s
73% rated it 7–1027% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

75th percentile

6.5K ratings across platforms

62nd percentile among Comedy77th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the show is an uncomfortable, awkward, sex-focused drama that divides audiences sharply.

Fans praised

  • honest exploration of relationships and grief
  • Toni Collette's layered, captivating performance
  • bold, complex writing that rewards full viewing

Detractors panned

  • pretentious, self-indulgent middle-class navel-gazing
  • stilted, unfinished dialogue that becomes grating
  • tedious therapy episode that kills momentum

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Toni Collette's performance widely praised as excellent; some detractors find cast unconvincing

Emotional impactDivisive70

Fans moved to tears; detractors find it lacking emotional connection

CharactersDivisive65

Fans see deep, relatable characters; detractors call them shallow and one-dimensional

Sound and musicDivisive65

Soundtrack praised as awesome or intrusive depending on camp

OriginalityDivisive60

Honest take on marriage and sex praised by fans; detractors call premise tired and clichéd

DialogueDivisive50

Fans praise honest, natural unfinished sentences; detractors find them stilted and annoying

Plot and storyDivisive45

Divisive: fans find it layered, detractors call it unfocused and slow

PacingDivisive35

Fans find it rewarding despite slow moments; detractors call it boring and laborious

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Miniseries · 2018 · 6 episodes

  • S1E1

    Episode 1

    Sep 4, 201857 min
  • S1E2

    Episode 2

    Sep 11, 201857 min
  • S1E3

    Episode 3

    Sep 18, 201858 min
  • S1E4

    Episode 4

    Sep 25, 201859 min
  • S1E5

    Episode 5

    Oct 2, 201856 min
  • S1E6

    Episode 6

    Oct 9, 201859 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Wanderlust like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and charged — a slow-burn watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeMelancholicTense
Heaviest: middle
Register
WarmTender · 10% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe show treats its characters' struggles with genuine warmth and tenderness, even amid the dramatic tension.
The rideThe reassessment phase likely carries the most emotional weight, while the series maintains a steady reflective mood.
StructureThe series follows a conventional beginning-middle-end arc as the couple works through their crisis.
Episode formatThe 6-episode arc follows one continuous story as the marriage is reassessed after the accident.
Season formatThe series concluded after one season with a complete arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you believing the marriage can be repaired, but acknowledges the difficult work ahead.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7% (this title): Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1% (this title)
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Second chance: A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).

7% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeAfter a cycling accident, a couple reassesses their stagnant marriage, setting the stage for a potential second chance at love and purpose.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfMarriageBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% (this title) · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Marriage · 2% of showsTrauma · 5% of showsIdentity
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on a long partnership under strain, re-examined after trauma forces both partners to question who they are.
StanceThe series questions what sustains a marriage and whether it can survive trauma, without celebrating or condemning either outcome.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score
SettingLondon suburban home and therapy practice after a cycling accident

Content guide

Is Wanderlust okay for kids?

Not Rated

Wanderlust is not rated. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (0/100), sexual content at moderate (57/100), language at intense (67/100) and drug and alcohol content at mild (17/100). Its violence, language and drug and alcohol content have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • Hungary16
  • Poland16
  • ROAP
  • Spain13
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · 4 of 5 categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated show
heavier than 74%
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (71 votes across 4 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Wanderlust have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Wanderlust?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Toni Collette
as Joy Richards
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Steven Mackintosh
as Alan Richards
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joe Hurst
as Tom Richards
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Emma D'Arcy
as Naomi Richards
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Zawe Ashton
as Claire Pascal
Celeste Dring
as Laura Richards
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Isis Hainsworth
as Michelle McCullen
Royce Pierreson
as Jason Hales
Kate O'Flynn
as Emily Riley
Jordan Adene
as Sam Morton

Crew

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