Euphoria

Dicks and pussies in a gripping generational account of another lost generation, where nudity, sharing, narcotics, addictions, anxieties, parents who don't understand, and videos play a major role. They are searching for themselves and discovering sexuality, things that all generations have gone through. They just search for it through different means and in a different way than the generations before them. Brilliantly delivered, acted, dead disturbing and uncomfortable throughout in a way not unlike Requiem for a Dream in its day. It feels too literal in places, especially Rue's long-winded monologues at the beginning of the episodes, when it would have been enough to convey the information richly through visuals (which it does) without the need to be descriptive and redundant for minutes on end. But that’s a detail. The only real criticism perhaps is that it soon tells basically everything and then it… Not that it directly goes around in circles or beats around the bush, but with a bit of hyperbole, "you've seen one episode, you've seen them all". They're every bit as good, telling, and without exception, very strong, but the feeling that maybe it didn't need to be a series so much as a miniseries in format doesn't go away. | S1: 4/5 | (02/21/2021)

Euphoria is a very good decadent series that portrays high-school in the most lighthearted yet unadulterated light. The series has been incredibly successful and it will be one of this year's top 5. Each episode focuses on one character from the school and the opening 10 minutes are always the highlights of the entire series. It addresses the issues of drugs, the problems of today's digital age and teenagers. The sex scenes remind many times of porn, and believe me, even R-rated movies don't have as much courage as Euphoria. Most of the characters are very likeable, and after almost every episode you end up feeling that you don't really want a child. Solid, realistic, depressing, hallucinogenic, gritty, and erotic. All this with an amazing soundtrack, lush visuals, awesome acting performances and solid dialogue. 85%. (08/13/2019)

Rue and Jules are some of the best series characters I've ever seen. Brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, so authentic and likable that their story just glued me to the screen, made me happy and worried for them... Despite the fact that it all took place in a completely different world than the one I inhabit. But the cunning of the whole series is that on the one hand it seems to overwhelm the viewer with trauma, nudity, and grittiness, but on the other hand it shows that none of it is just for effect, it's not some mandatorychecked box of the teen genre, because everything has a purpose and above all also some reason, often one hidden in the past. One of Euphoria's biggest strengths is how it treats a transgender character, that it actually pays absolutely no attention to and just lets the character live, laugh, love.... I found that downright beautiful. I'd hate not to mention what the show looks like though, because it's full of beautiful shots and has great music. Of all the episodes, the fourth one stands out qualitatively:it is extremely playfully filmed and set during a pilgrimage where a lot of important things happen, 100% suspenseful and cynically funny. Episode 6, at a Halloween party, has a similar momentum. I'm looking forward to season two! (04/02/2020)