'The Idol' Review: Sam Levinson's Attempt to Shock Lacks Depth and Subtlety

There is a world where The Idol would have been a hit: A story about a star who has just lost the person closest to them, who has unraveled and is being used by everyone around her like a cash cow, who is the target of predatory men eager to take advantage of her vulnerability. There is a world where that predictable but entertaining story would actually flourish — but that version of The Idol is not written by Sam Levinson, nor is it directed by him.

'The Idol' Should Follow a Pop Star's Rise, But Loses Focus The series starts with Jocelyn planning her comeback; she is determined to return to her former status as an idol. The people around her are either vultures or yes men, feeding off of her talent and success and eager to push her back onto the stage even if she hates the songs she's singing, hates the moves she's dancing to, and hates the music video she has to film.

What Levinson perceives as provocative and subversive is rather underwhelming. How can a show with so much nudity, sex, and eroticism be so bland? There's no substance behind his style. Perhaps more will arise in later episodes as we learn more about Tedros, but simply showing a wealth of nudity or sex is not enough. Levinson's style is fully on display, and sometimes it works, but whether by design or through a fault of editing, the episodes are messy.

Entertainment Entertainment Latest News, Entertainment Entertainment Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Cannes: Sam Levinson Fights Back Tears After ‘The Idol’ PremiereHBO's drama from the 'Euphoria' creator sees Lily-Rose Depp plays a Britney Spears-like pop star on the edge of a nervous breakdown who is drawn to a cult figure, played by The Weeknd in his TV acting debut.
Source: THR - 🏆 411. / 53 Read more »

The Weeknd and Sam Levinson’s ‘The Idol,’ Starring Lily-Rose Depp, Plays Like a Sordid Male Fantasy: TV Review''Euphoria' audiences won’t be too surprised by the shameful way Sam Levinson treats Lily-Rose Depp’s character, as both she and the show appear trapped under the Weeknd’s thumb,' writes AskDebruge. Read Variety's review of TheIdol:
Source: Variety - 🏆 108. / 63 Read more »

‘The Idol’ Review: Lily-Rose Depp Is Riveting As a Pop Star On The Verge In Sam Levinson’s Cryptic HBO Show – Cannes Film FestivalIt’s hard to know what to say about Sam Levinson’s already controversial HBO series except that it says quite a lot about the increasingly attention-grabbing antics of the Cannes Film Festival that…
Source: DEADLINE - 🏆 109. / 63 Read more »

HBO’s The Idol gets requisite 5-minute standing ovation at CannesHBO’s The Idol gets requisite 5-minute standing ovation at Cannes, plus a new plot breakdown
Source: TheAVClub - 🏆 340. / 59 Read more »