Created by Sam Levinson (“Euphoria”), the series “The Idol” with The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp is causing a lot of ink to flow, but what is the first episode really worth?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?
Following her final tour marred by a nervous breakdown, Jocelyn is determined to reclaim her title as America’s hottest and sexiest pop star. Tedros, a nightclub owner with a troubled past, rekindles the flame within her. Will this new romance take her to the top of her game, or will she rock her to the depths of her soul?
The Idol, a series created by Sam Levinson, The Weeknd and Reza Fahim.
WHO IS IT WITH?
In the main role, that of pop star Jocelyn, we find Lily-Rose Depp who is taking her first steps in a series here. At his side, in the guise of the sulphurous and toxic Tedros, the singer The Weeknd gives him the answer. He co-signs the screenplay. Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek), director Eli Roth, singer Troye Sivan, Blackpink singer Jennie Kim, Jane Adams (Happiness), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby) and Hari Nef (Assassination Nation).
IT’S WORTH CHECKING OUT ?
The world’s press goes wild on The Idolthe sulphurous new series of Sam Levinson, creator of Euphoria. No more high school corridors and the tribulations of teenagers, the director and screenwriter plunges this time into the flamboyant – and destructive – universe? – the music industry, more specifically that of pop music.
The first episode presents Jocelyn, the very archetype of the world star, a sort of mix between Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus. Overexposed and surrounded by an army of assistants, agents and publicists, she becomes the target of a revenge porn – dissemination of an intimate photo on the Web. This shot compromises his return to grace, between the release of his new single and his tour which is struggling to sell.
HBO/Prime Video Lily-Rose Depp in “The Idol”.
The first thirty minutes of the episode shows Jocelyn’s armada bustling about as the pop star does a photoshoot at her lavish villa. This long sequence is the most interesting. With a caustic humour, The Idol highlights the quirks and the absurdity of a mediatized life which, even if it is controlled to the millimeter, can go up in smoke.
Yes, the series is vulgar and does not lace, but it would be dishonest to overshadow its satirical tone. In Sam Levinson’s fiction, everything is taken to the extreme, from the choreography to the overplayed performances of the singer’s team to the title of the single, World Class Sinner – A world-class fisherwoman in French. Like that, it’s clear.
HBO/Prime Video
Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd in “The Idol”.
In terms of references, The Idol is much more on the side of a Showgirls by Paul Verhoeven – quoted through an extract from Basic Instinct – and the collection of erotic-nerdy TV movies Hollywood Night than of an A Star Is Born. Flashy and offensive, the series goes all out on excess, like a Lily Rose Depp who manages to convince in this role of lost pop star.
The second part of the episode is marked by his meeting with Tedros, the boss of a nightclub played by The Weeknd. This is where The Idol falters. It’s hard to understand what’s so exceptional about this man to catch our heroine’s eye. At each of his appearances, highlighted by oppressive music, the character is shown as a modern-day Dracula. The formula does not take, probably because the Canadian singer is not the best of actors.
HBO/Prime Video
Lily-Rose Depp in “The Idol”.
After this first episode, The Idol seems to be stuck in an in-between. On the one hand, the satire of a grinding machine and on the other, a sadomasochistic and toxic romance that will have to think outside the box to really fascinate. We wonder how this story will evolve. One thing is certain: the series seems to have things to say and that’s already enough to make you want to continue.
The Idol, available on Prime Video via the Warner Pass.