The Idol: From Semen on Lily-Rose Depp's Face to Masturbation With Ice Cubes, Here's How The Weeknd's Series Shocked Viewers at Cannes 2023
The Idol focuses on Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), an aspiring pop idol who, after having a nervous breakdown that causes her last tour to be cancelled, resolves to reclaim her title as the sexiest popstar in America and begins a complex relationship with Tedros (The Weeknd).
The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, appearing four days after her father took a bow at the inaugural screening, shut down the Croisette to show the price of fame, and raunchy intrigue, at the Cannes premiere of The Idol on Monday (local time), reports Variety. Making direct parallels to superstar meltdowns like the one suffered by Britney Spears, the HBO Original series, which is the first TV show to officially debut at Cannes, finally revealed itself at a packed gala screening. The Idol Review: Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd's Explicit Series Gets a Thumbs Up From Critics at Cannes 2023.
Revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depp's face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning scam artists and vile Hollywood sycophants populated the first two episodes of the already controversial series, Variety adds. The brainchild of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye, the series puts poor Depp through her paces as a pop phenom coming off of a psychotic break after the death of her mother, writes Variety. Cannes 2023: Lily-Rose Depp's The Idol Gets Five-Minute Standing Ovation at the Prestigious Event (Watch Video).
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A pack of bloodsucking handlers (fabulously portrayed by Jane Adams, Hank Azaria and Eli Roth) are desperate to get a new album and tour off the ground. While blowing off steam at a seedy Hollywood dance spot, she encounters Tesfaye as a proprietor and shoulder to grind on, who soon reveals much larger ambitions for her career and his bottom line. Tesfaye's character, Tedros, is a modern-day cult leader. The supporting cast includes Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennott and more.
Variety adds that brief respites from Depp's constant sexual and financial exploitation come in the form of her bestie/assistant (Sennott) and adviser played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, but Depp's character is a lost lamb, looking to be seen as an artiste and woman. Tesfaye's Tedros is all too happy to step in.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2023 11:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).