The Idol makes divisive debut at Cannes

HBO’s The Idol, which was co-created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, with the famed fest screening the first two episodes. And while it did receive a five-minute standing ovation, that reception is far from unanimous.

Ahead of its Cannes premiere, The Idol was garnering much publicity over its content and production issues, including delays and massive rewrites. A mixture of criticism and praise was directed at Levinson, who was apparently trying to top the sexual content that helped make Euphoria such a success. Per multiple people who worked on The Idol, the series “went from satire to the thing it was satirizing” and turned into “more of a degrading love story with a hollow message.”

The Idol’s official plot: “After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”

It’s remarkably rare for a television series to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, with The Idol joining works like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return and Top of the Lake: China Girl, co-created by former Palme d’Or winner Jane Campion. While The Idol is ineligible for the much-coveted prizes since it has screened out of competition, it will certainly still see a loyal following next month, especially to those looking to get more of the subject matter that Levinson has become renowned for.

Following the Cannes screening of the first two episodes of The Idol – which will air on June 4th and June 11th respectively – Levinson told the crowd, “I am incredibly proud of this show, and I’m proud of the way we made this show…I feel like I gained a family .. I know that sounds a little culty but that’s the way it feels.”

What do you think of reactions to The Idol coming out of Cannes? Are you going to watch the show? Let us know!