Like many others, I spent a lot of my winter break tearing through shows at an unhealthy speed. Bridgerton, Normal People, and Peaky Blinders have all crossed my path and been devoured. But the show that particularly piqued my interest was High Fidelity, a mini-series on Hulu starring Zoe Kravitz.
The show takes the 2000’s movie of the same name and flips it on its head. In the film, the protagonist Rob is akin to the ‘nice’ guy trope and found an audience to fit. This new version erases this trope by having Rob portrayed as neither white, male, or completely straight.
Similar to the source material, the show follows Rob (Kravitz) as she deals with the end of a relationship and tries to figure out what went wrong. She spends her days in the record shop she owns, creating Top 5 lists and critiquing other people’s music taste with her two best friends, Cherise and Simon.
The most intriguing aspect of this show is its incorporation of breaking the fourth wall into the storyline. Frequently interacting with the audience isn’t a new concept: the original High Fidelity movie and Fleabag (my all-time favorite show) are both prime examples of this. But what separates this installation of High Fidelity from Fleabag is how it views and treats the audience. While Fleabag interacts with the audience as a sort of diary, with blunt and embarrassing honesty, in High Fidelity, Rob views the audience as more like another friend.
She always maintains strict control over the narrative, and we only know what she wants us to know when she wants us to know it. To me, it almost appears as if her white lies are not entirely intentional lies to the audience, but they are lies to herself. She’s trying to convince herself of what her narrative is, even though it often contrasts reality. If she can’t control her life, at least she can control what people know of it.
She is trying to maintain this air of natural coolness, which is easily achieved because she is Zoe Kravitz walking around in a leather jacket spitting off obscure music knowledge. But as the show continues and more of Rob’s vulnerable moments are revealed, the line between genuine and performative nonchalance gets blurred.
I am well aware that a remake like this is not a new concept, but this one feels needed. Not only does it offer a fresh take on Rob as a character, but it allows the supporting characters (Cherise and Simon in this installment) to be more fleshed out, even having an entire episode centered on Simon. It pays homage to the original book and movie, yet it adapts excellently to the modern-day and is not merely a reproduction of what has already been done. Whether you are a fan of the movie or have never even heard of it, this show is worth watching.
So, if you are looking for an easy binge and wanting to be schooled on your music taste, check out High Fidelity on Hulu.