Critics Pan The Weeknd’s Explicit New Show Amid Negative Buzz

Topline

The upcoming HBO series, created by singer The Weeknd and Euphoria writer-director Sam Levinson, reportedly had a troubled filming and production process and is attracting controversy for its sexually explicit subject matter some critics say degrades its central female character and relies too heavily on shock value.

Key Facts

Chief Critics

In its review of The Idol, Variety considered the show a “sordid male fantasy,” and considers Levinson’s treatment of Depp’s character “shameful” and characterized by “degradation and suffering.” The Hollywood Reporter wrote that a scene rarely passes without a nude shot of Depp’s character, and the show “ultimately becomes regressive” in its depiction of female sexuality, pointing to Depp’s character relinquishing her agency “at every conceivable moment.” The Daily Beast criticized the show for its “hideous, self-excusing presentation of rape culture,” citing a scene in which The Weeknd’s character asks Depp’s character if she trusts him. When she responds “no,” he chokes her head with a cloth and cuts only a hole for air by her mouth. In a two-star review, the London Evening Standard wrote that despite the frequent nudity, “sexiness is absent,” and the show instead “feels more like sleaze and torture porn.”

Contra

Depp pushed back on the Rolling Stone article in an interview at the Cannes premiere, calling the allegations “mean, false things” that she said were not reflective of her experience filming the show. She previously told Rolling Stone that Levinson is “the best director” she’s ever worked with. At Cannes, Levinson denied the allegations of a chaotic production environment, but said he knew The Idol would be provocative, and joked about the negative press it has received. “When my wife read me the [Rolling Stone] article, I looked at her and I just said, ‘I think we’re about to have the biggest show of the summer,’” Levinson said. The Weeknd said The Idol was intended to be “something special, something fun, to make people laugh, piss some people off.”

Key Background

Levinson’s other HBO series, Euphoria, has faced similar criticism for what some have called excessive nudity and sexuality, particularly for a show focusing on teenagers. It also has had offscreen drama. Anonymous sources who worked on Euphoria’s second season, which aired between January and February 2022, told The Daily Beast the show’s production was marred by long work days that could stretch to 17 hours due to Levinson’s reported tendency to come to set without a plan, as well as numerous complaints made to the actors’ union about insufficient access to food and to restrooms. Fans noticed some characters seemed to be sidelined in the second season, including Kat, played by Barbie Ferreira, and McKay, played by Algee Smith. Ferreira—who won’t be returning for season three—reportedly clashed with Levinson over her character’s direction and reportedly stormed off set, though she denied these allegations. Sydney Sweeney, who plays Cassie, has said some of the nude scenes that were planned for her character felt unnecessary, though she clarified Levinson did not push her to film those scenes.

Further Reading

‘The Idol’: How HBO’s Next ‘Euphoria’ Became Twisted ‘Torture Porn’ (Rolling Stone)

‘The Idol’ Scandalizes Cannes With Five-Minute Standing Ovation for Lily-Rose Depp’s Masturbating Pop Star, Explicit Nudity and the Weeknd’s TV Acting Debut (Variety)