i haven’t watched euphoria, what makes it so good?? ☺️💛
Oh man, so many things. So many things! Euphoria is such an innovative, gorgeous, painful television show to watch. It’s entirely in its own league. I know that a lot of people compare it to Skins and even say that it’s what a fully-realized Skins US could have been, but I disagree. I adore Skins with my whole heart, and there are definitely obvious similarities, but comparing Euphoria to anything else does it a total disservice. Let me break it down for you.
story: In keeping with this generation’s aesthetic, watching Euphoria is like assembling a collage of flashbacks, cartoons, visions, memories, and montages. It takes your hand and weaves you in and out of its main storyline—Rue’s addiction—to unravel the teenage experience, beginning at the plights of first crushes and sexting then sinking its fingers deep into the gore of that age. I love how ugly it gets. It sounds weird, but I’m impressed with that awful feeling it gave me in my gut (many of the scenes are not for the faint of heart). Rue’s portrayal of her bipolar disorder, breaking down mania and depression especially, was heart-wrenching and so real to me. I just love the structure of the show, I love how unafraid it is, I love what a whirlwind it is, like being on a roller coaster. I don’t want to give anything away, but it is…wow.
writing: The writing in this is soft and sarcastic, a bit juvenile and surprisingly emotional. They talk like teenagers and they hurt like teenagers, and you can feel that. Rue’s narration is quiet but powerful, like you’re being let in on a secret but still don’t know the half of it. There are a few monologues that I replayed to listen to again just to feel what they made me feel one more time. UGH.
makeup: THE. MAKEUP. ON. THIS. SHOW. What sets Euphoria apart is that it uses everything it has to help tell its story. The girls paint their faces with clouds and glitter, neon and jewels, capturing the playfulness of a teenager while letting the viewer in on some pretty deep symbolism. Rue’s glitter almost always falls like tears. Jules starts the show off with a rainbow palette, which darkens to black by the final episode. Maddy’s looks are always that of a slightly skewed pageant queen, which, well… And those are just a few examples.
costume: Same with the makeup, the outfits are outrageous but accurate and absolutely make sense when you begin to peel back the layers of each character with every episode. I can’t elaborate too much because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but for me it was the equivalent of stepping back from a painting after studying its fine details, realizing how it all came together for a bigger picture.
cinematography: Euphoria is so, so pretty. The hues, the streets, the lighting, the colors, the angles. *fans self* Watching it feels like slipping into a dream, one that’s neither good or bad, just utterly surreal. From the commercials, you might have seen Rue’s famous tripping scene in which she takes drugs and the room becomes a hamster wheel and she begins to walk along the walls and ceiling. The camerawork is sometimes louder than the script—very powerful.
music: I mean…Labrinth runs the show on Euphoria with phenomenal and heady songs like All For Us and Mount Everest, which was a brilliant choice. His voice is threaded through the story, keeping you tethered to its very beginning and sort of always keeping you on edge, but in a beautiful way. Aside from that, it’s obvious that every song selected for each scene was done so with a lot of purpose. The tones are always very strong and captivating. Half of my music library was built from me Googling the lyrics of every song on the show. D:
acting: THESE ACTORS. OH MY GOD. The casting department did the lord’s work when they brought this ensemble together. A diverse cast with so much talent. Zendaya is fucking amazing as Rue, I can’t believe how many times she ripped my heart out as both narrator and lead. Jacob Elordi gives a chilling performance as Nate. I’ve never been so terrified of a character, even on a horror show. There were some scenes that made my skin crawl. I’m not usually very squeamish, but I had to look away; that’s how intense it got. And the rest of the cast…they’re all amazing. The characters they portray are complicated and immature and gorgeous and unlikeable but also likable. I loved that I found things to love and hate in all of them and the show wasn’t trying to sway me in either direction.
Overall, Euphoria is a total work of art, a total fever dream, an absolute experience. I can rarely sit through a show that demands 100% of my attention, but I did that every week, and I was left with my jaw on the floor every time. I just love it so much and you should totally watch it, okay?
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