The Idol: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Racy tale about the sleazy side of stardom - and cults
Year: 2023
Certificate: 18
This HBO series about a pop singer's racy re-invention billed itself as the 'the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood' and it certainly lived up to that, and pushed on-screen boundaries when it came to sex in the process. Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, stars as pop star Jocelyn; her dark mentor in this reinvention is a sordid cult leader played by Abel Tesfaye, the singer also known as The Weeknd.
Tesfaye created the show with Sam Levinson, the man behind the notoriously graphic HBO drama Euphoria, and did so with the pitch that, due to the fierce loyalty of his fans, 'if I wanted to start a cult, I could'. There's an interesting idea in there about the power of fame and, for some, this undeniably stylish series will appeal as a story of female empowerment, a bold exploration of the dark side of love or even a behind-the-scenes pop satire. For others, it will be a show created by men that exploits all these ideas as an excuse for being flat-out seedy. Either way, the show certainly pushed boundaries on screen in the deeply sordid sex scenes between Depp and Tesfaye, which involved some bizarre moments with a scarf and Tesfaye's character explaining his graphic fantasies. Watch at your peril!
For those after a comforting element amid all the mayhem, there's the surprising casting of lovely Dan Levy from Schitt's Creek as Jocelyn's agent to hold onto. (Five episodes)
