The Girlfriend Experience: Is It Worth Buying Into Starz On Demand?

In 2009, Steven Soderbergh directed experimental film The Girlfriend Experience starring adult film actress Sasha Grey as Christine aka Chelsea. Christine is an escort whose specialty is offering clients “the girlfriend experience” – an encounter in which there is pretence of emotional intimacy.

Photo Credit: Starz

Last night, Starz’s 13-episode TV series of the same name (featuring Soderbergh as an executive producer) became available to watch via the network’s On Demand service. While the film depicted Christine as sweet yet naïve, the first two episodes of the series portrays an entirely different Christine; played by Elvis’ granddaughter Riley Keough, the new Christine packs a sharp intellect, nerves of steel and a no BS approach to men.

For example, Grey’s Christine has a supportive live-in boyfriend who questions her profession only when she starts to believe there may be something more between herself and a client…partly because their star signs are compatible.

Keeping in mind that Keough’s Christine is an entirely different character, it’s interesting to see how her journey from law student to escort aims to address some of the questions viewers may have about this ubiquitous trade: What do high class escorts wear? How much can they earn? Why do it? And most intriguingly, how does one BECOME an escort?

Photo Credit: Starz

Not since ITV’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl has there been a show that so closely follows the oldest profession in the world. In contrast to the 2007-2011 dramedy however, humour in The Girlfriend Experience is dry and often thanks to Christine’s razor sharp tongue – this girl won’t take things lying down (pun intended).

Photo Credit: Starz

But is The Girlfriend Experience actually accurate in its portrayal of sex work? Probably no more than Belle’s exploits in Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Is it worth subscribing to Starz On Demand to binge watch the entire first season? Probably so!

This cable network reboot of the 2009 film boasts plenty of darkness and danger, elevating the standard of what late night TV viewers may have expected from a show on this topic.