Euphoria 2019, 2020
8.4
R
Agree with the staff review 100 percent. This was painful to watch at times - the one thought that comes to mind for me is, how can such young people have such adult problems?? Their world, at least in this world, has truly changed from times past and not necessarily for the better. I love how each episode highlights the background of a different character so that, by the the end, you know everyone's backstory. Before knowing that backstory, the characters are presented sort of as "in a box" (the slut, the jock, the fat chick, the nerd, etc.) so this for me was the best part of this drama - the stories behind them and getting to know them.
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While this show is quite explicitly about problems faced by teenagers, it is hard to imagine a teenager watching it. While it has the coolness credentials from the A24 studio behind it as well as Drake as executive producer, it deals with some hard-hitting stuff: pornography, addiction, sexual assault, body shaming, and self-harm. To name just a few. It is visually stunning and stylish, but you certainly cannot accuse the show of sugar-coating or glossing things over. And while it’s definitely consciously going for edgy, it also offers great acting from an up-and-coming cast, including a female lead played by Zendaya, a substantial script, and a sleek, diverse soundtrack. Euphoria is graphic, well-made, and in-your-face drama.