Parents' Guide to

The Idol

TV HBO Drama 2023
The Idol TV show poster: Jocelyn and Tedros are shown close together, against a background of palm trees; the words "The Idol" are in red at waist level

Common Sense Media Review

Joyce Slaton By Joyce Slaton , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Witless TV show with lots of adult content lacks charm.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp pose for a photo with bright flash
    1:04
  • The Idol TV show screenshot 1: Jocelyn is shown ringed by four male dancers as they practice for a video; one dancer grasps her by the throat in an aggressive fashion
  • The Idol TV show screenshot 2: Jocelyn is shown sitting on the floor of a lavishly appointed living room; she wears a red satin robe and has her legs drawn up beneath her. Behind her, a gold record is visible, in the foreground, we see two pill bottles.
  • The Idol TV show screenshot 3: Jocelyn lounges alone on a grassy space; she wears a bikini that exposes most of her breasts.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Dwayne M.
Dwayne M. Adult
February 19, 2024
age 12+

A Movie that Teens Can't Resist

This movie is a lot, but teenagers can't help but be fascinated with it because it is about a pop star and kids are already exposed to worse things like school, social media, etc. Nudity is always something that you can skip thru. If you are a fan of Abel Tesfaye (The Weekend ) it makes since why a teen would want to watch it. This is for mature teens who can handle mature things.
Lyla M.
Lyla M. Parent of 15 and 16-year-old
June 10, 2023
age 14+

The idol is a mature movie , but maturity isn't from age but the level of maturity that a child has. If your child is a fan of the weekend I think it's alright if you are a teenager and watch it just with the nudity you can always skip it. I don't think teenagers can't help but be fascinated with the idol because it is about celebrities and glamour and we live in a society where kids are hearing about crude things on the internet and at school
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Created by Sam Levinson (Euphoria), THE IDOL stars Lily Rose-Depp as Jocelyn, a Britney Spears-like pop star staging a comeback after a few rough years. She doesn't trust her management, she doesn't like her new single, and she doesn't hold much hope for the direction her life and career is going. And then she meets Tedros (The Weeknd). Now she has someone new to live for…but is this relationship a positive move, or hastening her slide?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This series is clearly reaching for Euphoria's attention-grabbing hot-mess levels, but the characters aren't finely drawn enough to make them interesting. Or possibly The Idol's actors aren't skilled enough to put the nuances their characters should have across. Because though Lily Rose-Depp is gorgeous to look at, she's also blank; we don't know what demons drive her into the treacherous arms of Tedros. We're meant to understand all we need to know through dialogue like "When you're famous, everyone lies to you," but the train isn't going all the way to the station.

Similarly, The Weeknd doesn't show enough charisma on-screen to make him a viable candidate for "irresistible guru," nor do we feel the chemistry with Jocelyn that might explain her attraction. So the more showy elements of the show -- drinking, drugs, sex, and betrayal -- all wind up feeling empty. The Idol is trying too hard to impress us with its coolness, when what it could really use is a shot of sincerity. Despite the buzzy cast and connections to hits, The Idol fails to win fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether it's OK to show sex, drinking, and drug use on television. Do shows like The Idol present a realistic view of life, or is anything exaggerated for entertainment? What would the real-life consequences of the characters' behavior be?

  • The Idol contains sexual images, as well as nudity. How often is the nudity related to sex and how often is it nonsexual -- e.g., people bathing or changing? Does it matter?

  • Do you know anyone struggling with drug abuse or addiction? What are the challenges they might face? What are some resources you know of that could be helpful?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

The Idol TV show poster: Jocelyn and Tedros are shown close together, against a background of palm trees; the words "The Idol" are in red at waist level
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