Euphoria

TV Show Review

Euphoria is a HBO drama about high schoolers and their struggles toward identity and self-discovery. It zeroes in on dark and modern themes about drugs, sex, and emotional abuse. The main character, Rue (played by Zendaya), is a 17-year-old drug addict, and she also serves as the narrator for the show. This show reminded me a bit of Thirteen Reasons Why and Skins, but out of these, Euphoria tops my list in terms of visual execution. I really want to emphasize how gorgeous this show is, because from the very first episode, I was in awe by the cinematography and sound editing. Because drugs are a major theme of the show, there are a lot of scenes that try to elicit different psychedelic emotions, and I thought the lighting and music choices truly brought this show to life.

For me, Euphoria was engaging, but ironically, not that addicting. While I loved individual characters and performances, I’m not sure if there was a strong, overarching plot-line to bring all of the different pieces together. Mostly, I kept watching to learn more about the characters, not necessarily to figure out what happens next in the plot.

In terms of casting, I think Euphoria does a great job in the realm of diversity and showing different perspectives. While Zendaya is amazing, she’s also surrounded by an outstanding cast of young actors/actresses. One of the best characters in the show was Jules, Rue’s best friend and a complex young woman, who also happens to be transgender. Honestly, my mind was blown when I realized that being transgender was a part of Jules’s identity, because I had no idea until it was explicitly stated. More importantly, I loved her performance and the chemistry between Jules and Rue (not to mention her outfits!). I also really loved Cassie and Kat as characters. Special shout-out to the makeup artists on this show, because their work was absolutely stunning!

Maddy

In conclusion…

If you like high school dramas that are extremely well-executed and thoughtful, you should give Euphoria a try. It’s not a show for people who are squeamish or prude, because you’re going to see a lot of nudity, sex scenes, and even straight up porn at times. I feel like even though the show discusses high schoolers, the content seems way too mature, graphic, and brutal for actual high schoolers to watch. In addition, this show seems to be something that conservative, older generations would be horrified by. I guess it finds its sweet spot among young adults and people who appreciate artsy, HBO dramas.

Cassie in her ice skating dream sequence.