‘The Idol’ Is a Shallow Portrait of Celebrity That Can’t Live Up to Its Own Hype

Alci Rengifo

The controversy over HBO’s “The Idol” proves to be more juicy and entertaining than the show itself. Finally releasing after months of gossip and whispered shock, Sam Levinson’s ode to celebrity debauchery turns out to have a rather tame opening. What’s truly shocking is how boring this glossy cringe ride can get. It tells us little we don’t already know about fame and youthful privilege, while having no real commentary to justify itself. The key draws will naturally be the cast, led by Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd. Their performances are pure curiosities, with Depp bringing a quieter edge and Tesfaye seeming unable to find any layers to his role.

On the surface the plot is very basic Los Angeles lore. Depp plays Jocelyn, a young pop star still getting over a recent breakdown and the death of her mother. The show opens on an album cover photo shoot where Jocelyn insists on baring more of her breasts to the concerns of an intimacy coordinator. Surrounding her are handlers like Nikki (Jane Adams), Chaim (Hank Azaria) and Benjamin (Dan Levy). There’s also Jocelyn’s bestie and assistant, the docile Leia (Rachel Sennott). The inner circle panics when a photo leaks online of the pop star’s face in close up splashed with semen. Yet Jocelyn seems unphased by the development and goes out clubbing. At one night spot she locks eyes with Tedros (Tesfaye), a sleazy club owner who speaks in low tones and has the wisdom of, well, an L.A. clubber. 

The behind-the-scenes chaos of “The Idol” should have led to something more entertaining, at least on a trashy level. Keen followers of all things TV know that director Amy Seimetz was originally directing the season, reportedly aiming to truly challenge the male gaze in study of a female pop star. Levinson then took full control and re-routed the show into a reportedly more exploitative, sexually frenzied project closer to his HBO hit “Euphoria.” Additionally, there were reports of uncomfortable set conditions and anarchy. So why is the result so low energy? What should be crackling instead feels like the most unappealing sort of slow burner, where the lush images lead to nothing of substance. 

There is almost a strong feeling where the viewer senses the director’s disconnect from the material. Levinson, the son of acclaimed director Barry Levinson, has lived among privilege and wealth his entire life, so he knows this world intimately. There is a pattern in how he finds little inspiration in his natural environment. “Euphoria” may be bombastic, but it’s a visceral and absorbing dive into the darker side of Gen Z and suburbia. Then Levinson makes something like “Malcolm & Marie” on Netflix, a yawning conversation between a snobby film director and his slightly younger girlfriend. “The Idol” also feels like pure, shallow chatter. Depp’s Jocelyn stares with sultry visage into the lens, looking empty and then practices choreography inspired by Britney Spears in the backyard of her mansion (which is the Weeknd’s actual Beverly Hills home). Her handlers banter and worry with lines that should be funny, but amount to nothing. Only Jane Adams injects a little fire, boasting about her sexual exploits when she was Jocelyn’s age.

The rest of the premiere, titled “Pop Tarts & Rat Tales,” moves along in a clichéd dirge. Depp is the daughter of Johnny Depp, so she looks perfectly at home grinding in an L.A. club in the wee hours, or lounging by sunlit swimming pools. Her Jocelyn laments that a new single her label is pushing hard is “too shallow.” Depp hints at the edgier person hiding behind the lazy smiles and vapid eyes. Why she is attracted to Tedros is a mystery, explained only because he is played by the Weeknd. They make out in a club hallway, he reminds her Prince is an example of pop music that has depth, he places a hand under her dress and thus begins what we presume to be the show’s big romance. It’s not scandalous at all when compared to the romps in “Euphoria.” Levinson never makes these characters feel real, they are clichés embodying fantasies of L.A. life.

For Depp and Tesfaye “The Idol” marks their first project as protagonists. In Tefaye’s case, the music star is getting to show off his acting chops, though they are quite weak. We’re always aware we are watching Tesfaye as essentially his Weeknd self walking around the episode, posing and saying lines like “you don’t sound like you know how to fuck” with deadpan absurdity. His insights into music via the dialogue are reduced to Donna Summer sounding like she knew indeed how to fuck because of how she sang “Love to Love You.” He gets to rub a shot glass against Depp’s chest so as to…what? Jocelyn is a huge pop star. Surely she’s done much more than this. The fact that photos have leaked of her face in a cum shot renders Tedros’s hilarious lines and moves mute. It’s a clear example of how “The Idol” arrives with plenty of hype, but the party is a downer and the notes are off key.

“The Idol” season one premieres June 4 and airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.