"Messy and Misogynistic" Jenny Drama 'The Idol' Receives Harsh Criticism

First Acting Challenge Raised Expectations
Critics Call It "Disgusting and Sexist"

BLACKPINK's Jennie stars in the HBO drama The Idol, which has been met with harsh criticism since its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

The Idol is a work that explores the dark side of the pop idol culture industry. The famous pop star The Weeknd served as producer and lead actor, with appearances by actor Johnny Depp's daughter Lily-Rose Depp and singer Troye Sivan.

Jennie plays Diane, the backup dancer for the protagonist Jocelyn, who dreams of becoming a pop star, appearing for about 5 minutes in episode 1 and 10 minutes in episode 2.

Girl group BLACKPINK's Jennie attended the screening of HBO drama The Idol during the 76th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on the 22nd (local time). The Idol is Jennie's acting debut, depicting the complex relationship between pop idol stars and the cultural industry. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Idol attracted global attention and raised expectations after being invited to the non-competitive section of the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

However, critics responded coldly when the first two episodes were screened at the festival.

Common criticism described the drama as misogynistic and resembling pornography filled with male chauvinistic sexual fantasies.

On the film review site Rotten Tomatoes, The Idol scored a very low freshness rating of 9%, earning it the label of "Rotten Tomato."

American entertainment media Variety criticized, "Revenge porn photos, obscene acts, con artists, and sycophants filled the first two episodes," calling it "a filthy male fantasy."

BLACKPINK member Jennie (right) and Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan arrived at the HBO drama 'The Idol' after party held on the 23rd (local time) in Cannes, France, where the 76th Cannes International Film Festival took place, and posed for photos. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Los Angeles (LA) Times pointed out, "Lily-Rose Depp is almost naked or exposing her chest to the point of near nudity," adding, "There are scenes that feel like rape fantasy porn."

American music magazine Rolling Stone described it as "more harmful and worse than rumored," calling it "worse than expected."

Previously, last year, director Amy Seimetz left the project, leading to a complete rewrite of the script.

At that time, Rolling Stone revealed that The Weeknd had expressed dissatisfaction with the original direction of the work, saying it was "too feminist," which sparked controversy.

Meanwhile, The Idol is scheduled for official broadcast on HBO on June 4. In South Korea, the streaming service Wavve provides HBO content, but it has not yet been announced whether The Idol will be available.