Already becoming a legend before its premiere, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Sam Levinson, and Reza Fahim’s The Idol has garnered plenty of media attention since HBO gave it the greenlight back in 2021. If you ascribe to the belief of “there’s no such thing as bad publicity,” then the marketing team is absolutely crushing it. On the other hand, if the idea of a toxic workplace and unrelenting creative differences throw a red flag into the mix, then the title may be a bit worrisome. Having celebrated its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the reviews are in and many of us who’ve been following the production won’t be surprised by what they’re saying.In The Idol, Lily-Rose Depp leads as Jocelyn, a burgeoning pop star searching for success and identity in Hollywood. On her way to the top, she meets Tedros (Tesfaye), a self-help guru and modern-day cult leader who promises the young singer that if she sticks with him, she’ll get everything that she wants. Along with their professional relationship, very toxic sounding sparks fly and the duo embarks on a tumultuous romance that puts everything at stake. Also starring in the series are Suzanna Son, Moses Sumney, Hank Azaria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dan Levy, Troye Sivan, Jane Adams, Eli Roth, Jennie Ruby Jane, Mike Dean, Rachel Sennott, and Hari Nef.So, what are the first piping hot reactions about The Idol saying? Collider’s Therese Lacson reports that had the series been released a few decades ago, “it might have sent shockwaves out,” adding that the storyline is “formulaic” and that it’s much less “provocative” than Euphoria creator Levinson thought that it would be.

Lily-Rose Depp and Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye on The Idol poster
Image via HBO

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Noting the mixed chatter now floating around about the title, Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh said that the negative feedback ranges from “I hated it” to “the TV version of clickbait.”

Variety’s Tatiana Sigel shared more of the same sentiment, reporting that the theater was mostly “disgusted” by what they had just witnessed but noted that many praised Depp’s performance as the troubled pop star.

Likewise, Yasmine Kandil referred to Depp’s performance as the “strongest” of her career and added praise for the series and the way it was able to “capture the glitz, glamour & exploitation of the music industry.”

Writing about Levinson’s vision behind The Idol, IndieWire’s Eric Kohn said that audiences can plan to see similar themes as in Euphoria through the creative’s latest collaboration with HBO.

Perhaps the most scathing review of all came from The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan who cheekily renamed the series “50 Shades of Tesfaye,” and referred to it as “A Pornhub-homepage odyssey” while slamming the network for leading their rebranding charge with it.

When Does The Idol Come Out?

Preparing for the curtains to rise and the spotlight to shine, The Idol takes center stage on HBO on June 4. Judging from the first reactions, we’re in for a fever dream of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll - but a good performance from its leading lady.