[Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for the first episode of “The Idol.”]
After setting the internet ablaze for months, “The Idol” finally premiered its first of five episodes on HBO Sunday night, establishing the stakes of a lurid show business saga certain to provoke strong reactions all the way through.
The news cycle around the show, co-created by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, and “Euphoria” co-creator Sam Levinson, has been as messy as the life of the pop star at its center: Originally directed as a dreamlike odyssey by “The Girlfriend Experience” showrunner Amy Seimetz, the unfinished version of “The Idol” was canned by Tesfaye and rebooted as a whole new project almost exactly one year ago with Levinson at the helm. While it remains to be seen whether the revision was worth the effort, the premiere makes it clear that any allegations about Tesfaye’s off-screen antics pale in comparison to the eerie villain he portrays in the show.
After setting the internet ablaze for months, “The Idol” finally premiered its first of five episodes on HBO Sunday night, establishing the stakes of a lurid show business saga certain to provoke strong reactions all the way through.
The news cycle around the show, co-created by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, and “Euphoria” co-creator Sam Levinson, has been as messy as the life of the pop star at its center: Originally directed as a dreamlike odyssey by “The Girlfriend Experience” showrunner Amy Seimetz, the unfinished version of “The Idol” was canned by Tesfaye and rebooted as a whole new project almost exactly one year ago with Levinson at the helm. While it remains to be seen whether the revision was worth the effort, the premiere makes it clear that any allegations about Tesfaye’s off-screen antics pale in comparison to the eerie villain he portrays in the show.
- 6/5/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
HBO Max became history on Tuesday when the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service officially became known as only as “Max.” But at the Cannes Film Festival world premiere for “The Idol,” the new show from “Euphoria” co-creator Sam Levinson, the mere appearance of the static HBO logo elicited cheers throughout the 2,3000-seat Lumiere Theater, but the room got much quieter from there.
Based on the two episodes that screened (cut together as a single 103-minute package with just a title card in between), “The Idol” forces viewers into a constant paradoxical state. The story of mentally unstable pop star Joslyn (Lily Rose-Depp) who’s seduced by a nefarious cult leader (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) has a propulsive energy to it as it barrels through its eerie storyline, from the lively dance numbers that Rose-Depp’s character rehearses to point of exhaustion through the ominous Bdsm relationship that she begins with...
Based on the two episodes that screened (cut together as a single 103-minute package with just a title card in between), “The Idol” forces viewers into a constant paradoxical state. The story of mentally unstable pop star Joslyn (Lily Rose-Depp) who’s seduced by a nefarious cult leader (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) has a propulsive energy to it as it barrels through its eerie storyline, from the lively dance numbers that Rose-Depp’s character rehearses to point of exhaustion through the ominous Bdsm relationship that she begins with...
- 5/23/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.