Paper Girls review: A must-watch sci-fi series about growing up and time travel

Prime Video’s Paper Girls live-action adaptation is the kind of television that’ll have you wanting to watch the series in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good.

Created by Stephany Folsom, and based on the comics by Brian K. Vaughan which are illustrated by Cliff Chiang, this eight episode series drops viewers into 1988 with Tiff, Erin, Mac, and KJ. They’re paper girls who are simply trying to do their early morning routes before their world is turned upside down via time travel.

Prior to being caught up in a futuristic war they had no idea was being waged, they’re biggest problem was trying to get through Hell Day as unscathed as possible. See, their jobs which certainly don’t pay enough for the level of harassment they endure, are dangerous. From hostile customers to young men raring for a fight, these girls always have to be ready to defend themselves at a moments notice.

For Erin (Riley Lai Nelet), that’s an unsettling prospect. When things kick off in Paper Girls, she’s starting her first day and out the gate things take a terrible turn. It gets worse when she and the other girls are transported to the future. 2019, to be exact, and they’re thrust into a battle to get home while also being on the run.

Paper Girls is a sci-fi mystey about growing up

It’s not difficult to pin down what makes this series work. Nelet’s portrayal of Erin as a young girl looking to find purpose outside of helping her mother navigate the English speaking world–whilst also recognizing the importance of that responsibility–carries a lot of the emotional work in the first couple of episodes. But it’s necessary as she must confront who her future self turns out to be.

As older Erin, Ali Wong imbues her time onscreen with a delicate balance of humor and the candor of an already struggling woman trying to assist where she can without screwing things up.

Then there’s Sofia Rosinsky as Mac, a foul-mouthed tough girl with a rough home life whose aggression masks a vulnerable heart. Mac is abrasive. There’s no other way to put it. But, she also takes care of those around her because that’s something she wishes she had.

Without spoiling her journey in 2019, we can say that Mac’s sharpest edges stem from her environment and when given the attention she desperately needs, her softness speaks to the person she could be if life weren’t constantly knocking her down.

As for Tiff, played by Camryn Jones, she’s a genius. If a plan needs to be made, she’s your girl. She’s brilliant and caring. While her place in the group plays an ancillary role at first, as the sci-fi aspects of the story begin to unfold, it’s clear her intelligence will be vital as the concept of time travel takes shape in the narrative.

Lastly, there’s Fina Strazza’s KJ Brandman. She’s got a quiet demeanor, but isn’t afraid to speak up. Strazza’s acting is subtle in her portrayal of the simmering crush the young girl has on Mac. It’s all glances and determination with a hint of pining that speaks to KJ’s awareness of her own feelings. She’s also the most protective of the group and most likely to act on that feeling even when it could come with dire consequences.

Paper Girls refuses to take the reality out of its sci-fi story and that’s what makes it so good. Escapist sci-fi is fun and has its rightful place in the genre. But, so too, do stories that wrestle with the facts of life.

Just as existence can be beautiful and transformative, it also may not live up to expectations, you can fail yourself, or others can fail you. Sometimes there’s simply not enough time on this Earth and you do what you can with what you have. Your life may even have a profound affect on someone close to you even if it’s cut short.

This series understands that and while these girls are running from time travelers hellbent on keeping the status quo of the future intact, as well as falling in with rebels, they’re learning a very important point about growing up. It’s rarely what you imagined, it tends to hurt, and your choices have a far greater impact than you might think. But that journey is also timeless and teaches you a lot about yourself. What makes it better is having people there to support you and who understand in some way what you’re going through.

As for the sci-fi elements in the show, if you’re going in without a single shred of information about Paper Girls (like I did), you’re going to be as lost as this quartet. But, that’s fine. Let this show take you on a ride. It’s poignant, funny, endearing, and stunningly beautiful.

All eight episodes of Paper Girls are available to stream now on Prime Video.