When it comes to television, the HBO logo is almost a guaranteed mark of quality. The network helped to redefine the medium, blurring the line between tv and cinema, with the release of The Sopranos in 1999, and has since gone on to release some of the biggest, and most acclaimed shows in television history. However, HBO’s long run of successes has been brought to a close by The Idol, from the creator of A24’s Euphoria.
The Idol stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, a woman determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (The Weeknd), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. The Idol was initially pitched and marketed as an exploration and exposition of the dark side of the entertainment industry, however, many reviews state that The Idol ends up glorifying the very elements it looks to satirize.
The Idol has also seen its share of controversy before its release, with Rolling Stone reporting that several crew members criticized the show’s creator Sam Levinson for his chaotic, and disorganized sets and method of directing, calling it a “S**t show.” To top it off, one of the show’s stars The Weeknd, publically fought back at Rolling Stone, releasing a video, intended as viral marketing, in which he and his co-star Lily-Rose Depp verbally denounce Rolling Stone, calling them “irrelevant.”
The Idol premiered at Cannes Film Festival last week and was immediately berated by critics, currently sitting at a shocking 27% on RT – the lowest of any HBO show ever. In their review, Rolling Stone said The Idol:
“Felt nasty, brutish, much longer than it is, and way, way worse than you’d have anticipated.”
They then went on to class The Idol as glorified “torture porn.”
The Idol is scheduled to begin airing on HBO on June 4, 2023.
