‘Euphoria’: Inside Lexi’s Spinning, Meta High School Play at the Center of Episode 7

The HBO series “Euphoria” has become a cultural phenomenon thanks to its talented and charismatic ensemble cast, controversial attitudes toward teen sex and drug use, and trend-setting approach to fashion and makeup.

All of that tends to obscure the show’s ground-breaking visual style, but that style is every bit as instrumental to the show’s success as Zendaya’s Emmy-winning performance as Rue.

In finding the precise cinematic language to express Rue’s struggles with addiction and the roiling interior tensions of Rue’s classmates and parents, creator Sam Levinson (who directed all the episodes in Season 2) has turned “Euphoria” into essential viewing for anyone interested in seeing how far television can push visual and aural grammar.

From the insanely creative needle drops to intricately choreographed Steadicam shots that would make “Magnolia”-era Paul Thomas Anderson jealous, “Euphoria” is the place to find 2022’s boldest and most inspiring filmmaking.

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