The White Lotus (2021)

The critic hails the satirical takedown of the obscenely wealthy at a Hawaiian luxury hotel, noting it gets stonkingly good and praising the standout performance of Murray Bartlett as the bitchy hotel manager.

The critic calls it 2021’s best and most uncomfortable TV show, praising Mike White’s scathing social satire on class, race and privilege that is deeply funny and topical without preaching.

The series is a sharply etched satire of classism, white privilege, and entitlement among wealthy guests and staff at a luxury resort, delivered as a darkly comic, absorbing, and indictment-filled watch that is never relaxing.

HBO's rasping satire is set in a fictional Hawaiian spa where trouble brews beneath the gilded lives of wealthy guests. The script is genuinely funny with a mischievous edge, beautiful precision in pacing and uniformly terrific performances, though it is an episode-one review.

The series is called a subversive triumph and mercilessly sharp satire of toxic wealth, entitlement and class exploitation with a radical tone. It praises the messy, transgressive handling of chaos and standout performances, especially Jennifer Coolidge's vulnerable turn.

The critic praises Mike White's exhilarating comedy about privilege at a Hawaiian resort as an achievement with a dazzling cast and strong momentum following his earlier work.

The series is delightfully mean-spirited yet big-hearted, a vibrantly messy and deceptively emotional satire of rich guests at a resort. It singles out Jennifer Coolidge's standout performance as the crushed soul at the center and notes strong work from the ensemble.

The critic highlights Jennifer Coolidge stealing the show as a wealthy guest in this satire of privilege and entitlement at a Hawaiian resort. The setup with death foreshadowing and strong performances keeps the premiere intriguing, though it is not yet deemed a must-watch.

The review describes the series as an intoxicating rabbit hole defying categorization, with mesmerizing performances especially Jennifer Coolidge's for the ages and Murray Bartlett's spiraling manager. It examines self-absorption and materialism through fluid, hypnotic storytelling.

The critic praises the show's ability to blend genres seamlessly into a darkly comic social satire that is both hilarious and sad, singling out the excellent writing that makes every character feel real and the standout performances of Murray Bartlett as Armond and Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya.

The review hails it as a hysterically bizarre and prescient miniseries with a phenomenal cast and tremendous ensemble, singling out the haunting score and the dynamic between rich guests and staff, particularly Murray Bartlett's star-making performance as Armond.

The critic views the series as a sharp scripted take on class tensions at a luxury Hawaiian resort, blending humor and sadness in its portrayal of guests and staff. It singles out creator Mike White's tonal mastery and the strong ensemble cast, especially Jennifer Coolidge, for praise.

The show perfectly captures the hell of the service industry during COVID through its portrayal of entitled guests abusing staff at the resort, serving as a scathing indictment of pandemic behavior, privilege, and class divides while highlighting the workers' plight.

The critic commends the star-studded cast and deep character portrayals in this biting social satire but criticizes the underdeveloped class commentary and the series' tendency to wane in its later episodes, focusing too much on the guests.