Zendaya and the star-studded cast are helpless. HBO's Euphoria season 3, which had a staggering $200 million (Hanwha about 295 billion won) production budget, is sinking at release amid fans' harsh criticism calling it disgusting.
On the 15th (local time), the Daily Mail and other foreign outlets reported that Euphoria season 3, which breaks a five-year hiatus to tell the stories of the now-adult protagonists, received a brutal report card from critics and viewers calling it "expensive trash" and "a mistake that should not have been made." The review site Rotten Tomatoes' freshness score plunged to 42%.
The biggest problem is excessive "shock value." This season shows Zendaya (as Rue) and Chloe Cherry (as Faye) swallowing fentanyl balloons lubricated to smuggle drugs, using a sieve to retrieve them for excretion, and other unhygienic and sadistic scenes without restraint. In particular, scenes such as washing a sieve soiled with excrement to serve spaghetti, or depicting a dog eating feces, have provoked strong criticism from viewers who say it induces vomiting.
A controversy over the actors being subjected to sadistic treatment also erupted. Fans angered over the setting in which Sydney Sweeney (as Cassie) allegedly does fetish content on OnlyFans wearing puppy or baby costumes to raise money for a wedding, calling it nothing short of a "humiliation ritual" directed at Sydney Sweeney. Critics say producer Sam Levinson exploited this despite Sydney Sweeney having spoken out against excessive sexual objectification in Hollywood.
Male lead Jacob Elordi (as Nate) was also put on the chopping block. Fans criticized that the actor, who rose to prominence and was an Oscar contender, shows soulless acting this season, saying, "You can see him forcing it in every take," and "It seems he appears only because of contractual obligations for the money."
Critics were equally ruthless. The Guardian described it as "messy and despairing," and The Telegraph blasted, "It has devolved into a man's bizarre, sex-obsessed fantasy. Even Zendaya cannot save this show from Sam Levinson's debauchery." Analysts say that director Sam Levinson, who writes scripts alone without a writers' room, has reached the limits of "exploiting female characters."
The possibility that this season will be Euphoria's last has grown. Recently Zendaya appeared on the Drew Barrymore Show and, when asked whether season 3 would be the last, replied, "I think so. The ending is approaching," hinting at a finale.
[Photo] Euphoria 3 still, poster
[OSEN]