--- title: "Euphoria: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/euphoria/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/euphoria" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Euphoria (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Euphoria, and nearly all of them like it for the same reason: Zendaya. Her performance as Rue, a teenager in the grip of addiction, is singled out in every review, with several calling it revelatory or haunting, and Hunter Schafer draws praise alongside her. The look of the thing is the other point of agreement; critics find the hazy, drug-trip style intoxicating and think Levinson uses it to show what the characters are hiding rather than to decorate. Several credit the series with handling sex, drugs and trauma candidly rather than merely graphically. The reservations cluster around whether the darkness is earned. Vulture finds the bleakness and nudity gratuitous and not always justified, IndieWire calls the relentlessness exhausting to the point of dulling the warning, and The Ringer thinks the show cannot decide whether it takes its teenagers seriously or sensationalises them. Others note uneven pacing and a chaotic opening. The spread is fairly wide, from enthusiastic to lukewarm, though nobody dismisses it outright. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 June 2019. The critic calls it one of the year's best new shows, praising its daring yet sensitive handling of teen issues like addiction, sexuality and trauma. They single out the intoxicating visual style, strong performances (especially Zendaya) and Levinson's direction for balancing graphic content with substance. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/14/euphoria-review-hbo-zendaya-drake) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 June 2019. The show unflinchingly portrays the harsh realities of teen life involving drugs, sex, and social media in a raw and accurate way. Zendaya delivers a revelatory performance as the drug-addicted Rue, supported by strong work from the cast and creator Sam Levinson. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/euphoria-review-1215681/) ## Variety — Caroline Framke Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 2019. The series starts chaotically but gains focus and confidence, using the haze of drug trips effectively to reveal characters' facades. It offers a bracing, candid look at troubled teens with strong performances, particularly from Zendaya as the addict Rue. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/tv/reviews/euphoria-hbo-review-zendaya-1203235780/) ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Rating B-. 4 June 2019. The series is unrelenting in its depiction of dangerous teen behavior, resulting in an exhausting experience that dulls its impact as a warning. It features a haunting central performance from Zendaya but struggles to balance its collective darkness with any relief or humor. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/2019/06/euphoria-hbo-review-zendaya-series-1202146636/) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 14 June 2019. The show succeeds at building suspense and capturing a hazy, explicit vibe of Gen Z adolescence through strong performances, especially Zendaya as Rue, but feels gratuitous in its bleakness, nudity, and content without always justifying it. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/euphoria-hbo-review.html) ## Den of Geek — Patrick Sproull Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2019. Euphoria is a fantastic, character-driven series with authentic portrayals of teen trauma, addiction, and relationships, anchored by Zendaya's raw, vulnerable lead performance and precise world-building. It occasionally stumbles with uneven pacing but remains compelling and insightful. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/euphoria-review-a-gripping-binge-worthy-us-drama/) ## Collider — Haleigh Foutch Rating B-. 16 June 2019. The review finds Euphoria a provocative but uneven series that excels in visual style and some character insights while leaning too heavily on sensationalism and shock. It singles out Zendaya's strong work in family scenes and the show's unflinching take on addiction and recovery. [Read the review](https://collider.com/euphoria-review-zendaya/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 June 2019. The show is an ode to teen sex and drug use that both fetishizes and seriously explores its subjects, while serving as a prime example of HBO’s effort to expand its audience. It features strong performances from Zendaya and Hunter Schafer but struggles with inconsistency between taking teens seriously and sensationalizing them. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/06/14/tv/euphoria-review-drugs-sex-hbo) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/euphoria.md