The White Lotus is HBO’s upcoming six-episode limited series that was created, written, and directed by Mike White, who fulfilled all those roles in HBO’s dark comedy drama Enlightened which he co-created with star Laura Dern.
It’s a social satire set at the luxurious Hawaiian resort The White Lotus, and follows its staff and vacationing guests over the course of a week. But as the week progresses we start seeing more and more beneath the surface, and realise that behind the friendly smiles and seemingly carefree existence there is, in fact, trouble in paradise.
The show stars Murray Barlett (Looking), Connie Britton (Nashville), Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls), Alexandra Daddario (True Detective), Fred Hechinger (Eighth Grade), Jake Lacy (Girls), Brittany O’Grady (Little Voice), Natasha Rothwell (Insecure), Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), and Steve Zahn (Treme).
The official synopsis is as follows:
A social satire set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, the series follows the vacations of various hotel guests over the span of a week as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. But with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself.
Let’s take a look:
I’ve long had a theory about the wealthy and/or celebrities – it’s that after a while many become so used to having every little whim catered to, because people either want their money or the money they potentially bring in, that they can’t imagine not having every thought or desire that pops into their heads catered to or fathom that someone else might not agree with it. The White Lotus seems to lean very heavily in that direction as it satirises class privilege.
This trailer sets up the series nicely, and I’m quite curious to see how far it’ll go with its story given that there are only six episodes. It looks well-directed, the performances are good, the dialogue is snappy, and I really enjoy the understated humour.
What do you think?
The White Lotus will premiere on HBO on 11 July. It’ll also feature guest appearances from Molly Shannon, Jon Gries, Jolene Purdy, Kekoa Kekumano, and Lukas Gage.
Last Updated: June 7, 2021
