Euphoria (2019)

This show is visually.. unbelievable. The acting is outstanding. Every character plays an insanely difficult role to uphold their character. This show is very hard to watch at times - and raises the question of "why?" often. Most negative reviews are coming from those who cannot acquire a taste for the vulgarity of this - which is understandable. This show is not for everyone. But it's undeniable that this show is flawlessly directed - and the actors are so impressive. This is not one of the best shows i've seen in terms of story line, but in terms of cinematography and acting this show is superb. Gotta give it up to Zendaya, too. Wow.

As the father of a teenage girl, I find this very hard to watch, but essential. I have to have several sessions to get through to the end of each episode. These situations ARE real, but maybe don't all occur at the same place and in the same period of time, as they have been put together here for dramatic effect.

Other reviews here are written from the point-of-view of "is it entertaining". I'm writing this with the view of it as docufiction, and I don't apologise for giving 10/10 as such, not as entertainment.

I'm so sick of seeing people give shows and movies 1/10 if they don't like it or 10/10 if they like it. So here is my short, messy and jumbled, but NUANCED review. This show is pretty great so far! It's not a masterpiece 10/10 and it's certainly not a 1/10. The first episode takes us through the life of the main character and just begins to introduce the supporting characters. The cinematography, writing, acting and pacing are all fantastic. It is a sad, depressing, shocking, and disturbing show. It's not for everyone. But it grabbed my attention immediately and held it through the whole episode. There were parts where I almost teared up, and one part where I literally had my jaw hanging open! (And not because of any of the nudity, drug use, or violence that many people have been clutching their pearls over.) My biggest criticism would be that there are two characters who aren't fleshed out at ALL so far. They're flat, one dimensional and not likeable. In fact, one of them is absolutely terrible with 0 redeeming qualities. However, since this is only the first episode and i assume the show will flesh all the characters out throughout the rest of the 8 episode run, it's kind of unfair to criticize on this point too much. Thankfully, I do care about all the other characters for the most part. The show also happens to have one of the few, and most realistic on screen depictions of OCD and mental illness/disorders I've seen in my life. I say this as someone with OCD, though not the same type and perhaps not as severe as is depicted.

Anyway, the first episode overall is a great pilot. It starts strong, keeps you intrigued, and ends with a little twist. I am definitely going to tune in in the weeks to come.

SIDE NOTE: one of the biggest criticisms I've been hearing of the show so far is that it's "not realistic." "Teens don't do THIS many drugs." "Teens don't have THIS much sex, or party THIS hard." Etc. In response I'd say this: speak for your damn self. As a teen, my experience certainly wasn't like this at all. But just because my experience wasn't like this and your experience may not have been like this, doesn't mean it wasn't like this for anyone else. The creator, Sam Levinson has stated he took inspiration for Euphoria from his struggles with addiction as a teen. Many teens struggle with drugs, violence, sex, partying, social pressures, social media, bullying etc.... and most teens will find at least some stuff in the show relatable. For me, it was the OCD depiction. Also, even if it's not realistic to you, who cares? If it's entertaining and high quality (which it is) then you'll probably enjoy it.

First things first, cinematography is beautiful. Actors did really good job and overall it makes a decent show. But I don't understand if it's trying to spread awareness or trying to encourage young people to do this type of behaviour. I also saw one review that said how this show is showing "the truth" about teens today and I personally think they are wrong. In my opinion this show is overly dramatised (I understand that it's a tv show, it's suppost to be dramatic). I'm currently in my late teenage years and I haven't seen anyone going through what these people are going through in this show. But I would still recommend it to people.

I'm gonna try to keep it brief.

in the beginning, it seemed like the show was dark just for the sake of being dark.

everything seemed clichéd, and there was a vast degree of exaggerated negativity.

mix that with a slow beginning, and you've turned off most of your potential viewers.

however, during the fourth episode, i began to witness the story take a definite direction. it seemed to me that the relationships among the characters increased in complexity.

i would agree that this show isn't for everyone, but please give time for the story to develop before plaguing it with the 1-star reviews.

for me, Jules' backstory in the beginning of episode 4, along with the perfect music accompanying it, is the reason for my high rating. i don't think i've ever been moved this much by a tv show.

I'm loving this show and the issues it explores, however, I do not believe the content jibes with a high school age cast of characters. I believe it would have better and more realistically been explored in a college setting... Nevertheless, I give the show a 9 because it is very well done and crosses a lot of boundaries in TV making. Thanks to HBO

After watching the first couple of episodes it seems clear to me one of the issues with the show is that it is rather schizophrenic - it's all over the place. This can sometimes be an effective form of storytelling if the pieces all work together nicely.

But in this case, the show almost seems directionless. I mean, what is the point? Drugs are bad? Some teens have sex? The internet is as much or more a dark, seedy place than it is a source of enlightenment? The show goes out of it's way to be graphic and in your face, but it's not clear if it's to show the viewer the perils of the lifestyle or just glorifies it for shock value. The message is muddled.

While there are definitely adolescents like the ones depicted in the show, it's pretty clear the show uses the same stereotypes and tropes about teens (they are angsty, rebellious, etc.) and generalizes too broadly.

And where are the parents? No doubt there are some parents that, for whatever reason (guilt, disinterest, weakness, etc.), let their kids do whatever they want. But really? Massive house parties at expensive houses with pools (and not a cop car in site, even for noise?) kids coming and going at will at all hours of the night? Complete lack of supervision, even when the parents are home? It happens. But on this scale? It's a little over the top.

I like Zendaya. I think she's a good, talented young actress and for the most part, she is ok in this role. I think she has the potential to be a great actress, but not yet. Her current range falls a bit short in trying to convince the audience she is a hard core addict, and I just have trouble buying it.

The rest of the performances are good, but not great. I can't say I've been blown away by anyone, but the performances themselves are fine.

The problem is the characters themselves. Almost none of them are likable, including the main characters. It's hard to sympathize and connect to characters you either don't like or don't care about. And here in lies the problem - I just don't care about the characters I should and I really hate the characters I can't stand. So, where is the investment then?

On the plus side, the cinematography is really good and sometimes even feels fresh and creative.

Overall though, despite all the hype, there's nothing groundbreaking happening here. Once you get past the shock value, the characters are rather flimsy, the plot lacks coherent direction, and the message is confusing.

I kept hoping the story would eventually lead to something. Take away the shock value of this show and there was no real substance there. Every episode is dedicated to learning about a different character, similar to 13 Reasons why, except in that show there is a reason for this and it adds to the overall story. In this case it added nothing to the overall story.

9 out of 10 only because it's almost obviously shocking for shock value. But don't kid yourself, this is very real. Kids are doing this these days. Want to find out for yourself? Befriend you teens friends. Let them chat while you pretend not to listen.

Moving on, Zendaya is fabulous. Beyond fabulous. So is her sister. It's a semi-unique story. Teenage angst will never end, it just becomes grittier.

It's way too over dramatic. The lives of each teen seems so unrealistic. I see that they're trying to cover real problems but it just doesn't make much sense for high school students. I feel as though it would be much better if the characters were college students.

Some of the stuff in this show is so extreme for 16/17 year olds. I'm 16 years old and it felt like I was watching a bunch of "teenagers" acting way too old for their age. I don't necessarily know to explain it but it just seemed like the teenagers weren't around the same age as me. I often forgot they were teens and it made it very hard to relate to them.