By: Mariah Thomas
Photo By Apple
Book adaptations always have to walk a thin line. “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” by Rufi Thorpe gets an electric adaptation that made its way to this year’s SXSW Film and TV Festival. There will always be things that don’t always translate well from written text to screen and changes to be made and along those lines, visually, this series plays more into the atmospheric tone set in the book.
Margo (Elle Fanning) is a nineteen year old college student who begins an affair with her college professor, Mark (Michael Angarano). While there are proclamations of love, this abruptly stops when Margo becomes pregnant. Mark encourages her to have an abortion, but she decides to go through with the pregnancy. She feels a sense of duty given her own history with her mother, Shayanne (Michelle Pfeiffer). Margo is forced to drop out of school and to be able to pay rent she decides to take up Only Fans. With time she is able to make a decent chunk of change on the site as she grows in popularity. However, Margo is quickly recognized and doxxed online. With her content made public, Mark and his overbearing mother Elizabeth (Marcia Gay Harden) attempt to gain custody. Mark comes from a wealthy family, so they are able to deeply influence the outcome of things. Margo’s character is in question, and she must balance growing into a young woman and exploring her sexuality while also proving despite that she is a good mother.
The main complaint I have with the show is how choppy the episodes feel. The first few episodes are so close in timeline that it feels as if they were randomly chosen to be divided up. The following episodes then stretch over too much time without showing us what occurs during that period. However, watching it in a binge fashion, it just feels like a long winded movie. To me, this would have been the best way to approach the show, though the wonderful cast and heart of the show make up for this. Michelle Pfeiffer will always blow me away. In comparison to her role as a mom in 2025’s film Oh. What. Fun. and to her role as a mom here highlights her brilliance to me. Both versions highlight her as a mother who feels underappreciated in some capacity and showcases that feeling in such different ways. Nick Offerman as Margo’s father also was a highlight for me. The concept of an ex-pro wrestler father with a drug problem could have gone in such a comedic route, especially with Offerman in the role, but it doesn’t. There is such a heart and I’m sure relatability to his performance. Every moment he comes from a place of regret for his past and wanting to do the best by Margo and his grandson. From Nicole Kidman, Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinner, Elle Fanning, Rico Nasty and more, this stacked cast works so well together.
Dearbhla Walsh, Kate Herron and Alice Seabright take on the director role in this series. The first two episodes, specifically, feel like it should be a singular episode or movie, so learning Walsh directed both makes sense. While I am on the fence if I love or hate that factor, there is such a natural flow between the two episodes that if it weren’t for the end credits, you would not know where one ended and the other began. Walsh also directed episodes five and eight. Herron took on episodes three and four while Seabright had six and seven. The episodes do feel fitting in pairs as the focus centers on specific eras of Margo’s life. Together these women made the show feel seamless despite their different directing styles.
As someone who read the book prior, there are things I dislike adaptation wise, but I still admire the show for what it is. It is a fun show with so much heart and pivotal teaching moments. “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” opens little pockets of plot throughout the episodes that leaves room to potentially be explored in future seasons. At the same time, there is a proper conclusion to the season. So, if this doesn’t continue on, there is still the feeling of a finished story. This Apple TV show is sure to be a hit.