After concluding in 2022, anticipation for what would come next reached a fever pitch. Now, after a long hiatus, Euphoria returns for an audacious, scandalous, and deeply complex third season. And from the outset, it’s clear: the rulebook has been torn up completely.

A few years after high school, Rue’s debts finally catch up with her. Hoping to finance her dream wedding, Cassie tries to become internet famous – to the disapproval of Nate.

Life After High School

High school is over for the residents of East Highland, and the real world has come calling, with all its harshness intact. Season Three wastes no time establishing its new tone. Opening episode ‘Ándale’ hits with a ferocious intensity, moving at breakneck speed and immediately signalling a dramatic shift in both scale and stakes.

Set four years after the events of Season Two, Levinson re-centres the narrative around Ruby ‘Rue’ Bennett, portrayed once again by Zendaya. But this is not the Rue audiences remember. Following her fallout with high school teacher turned psychopathic drug dealer Laurie (), Rue has descended even further into chaos, and has now been forced into operating as a drug mule, smuggling fentanyl across the border, continually under the control of dangerous new players.

It’s a sharp, jarring pivot, one that pushes Euphoria out of suburban angst and into something far more sinister. With Levinson fully leaning into this grimy underworld, expanding the show’s scope while retaining its emotional core.

Rue at Rock Bottom

Zendaya’s Rue remains the beating heart of Euphoria, and Season Three places her in its darkest territory yet. Now juggling life as a part-time Uber driver and full-time criminal, she is a character in freefall, surviving moment to moment, clinging to whatever fragments of control she can muster, and trying to find any sip of hope she can taste.

Yet even in her lowest moments, there’s a flicker of something more. Rue has always been a character defined by contradiction: self-destructive, yet deeply empathetic; reckless, yet searching for meaning. That duality remains intact here, with the suggestion of redemption quietly threading through her story, and this is a narrative point that will be fully explored this season.

Zendaya once again delivers a commanding performance. There’s a sharpened edge to her portrayal this season, with Rue feeling more dangerous, more unpredictable, yet also more fragile. It’s a performance filled with tension, giving Levinson’s darker narrative plenty of emotional weight and room to grow.

Old Flames, New Fires

Of course, Euphoria has never been a one-character show, and Season Three brings back its ensemble with explosive results.

‘Ándale’ wastes no time delivering shock value, revealing that Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) are not only still entangled in their toxic relationship, but are now engaged. It’s a development that feels both inevitable and catastrophic. And their ‘love’ for one another finds an even deeper lower to fall towards.

Their dynamic remains as volatile as ever. Nate, now burdened with the weight of his father’s business and mounting financial pressure, is spiralling in his own way. Meanwhile Cassie, is chasing a different kind of validation, turning to social media stardom with provocative ambition for any sort of attention she can muster. But it has dire results. There’s also the impending wedding, and Cassie’s fairytale vision is something she will not compromise on, and this leads to a severe and caustic ultimatum from her to Nate that is sure to have profound consequences for the two of them. Their clashing desires create a powder keg of tension in ‘Ándale’, one that feels destined to explode.

Elsewhere, Alexis ‘Lexie’ Howard (Maude Apatow) has escaped to Hollywood, working as a production assistant and chasing creative fulfilment far removed from her sister’s chaos. Still in contact with Rue, audiences can sense that she’s deliberately keeping her sister at arms length, and when the inevitable family reunion does happen it will no doubt be a combustible event.

Meanwhile Cassie’s former best friend, and Nate’s long time ex, Madeleine “Maddy” Perez (Alexa Demie) has stepped out into her own version of ambition, and is navigating the entertainment world as a would be publicist, with her trademark confidence and hunger, but gaining the life she had always destined for herself has so far evaded her, and the grind is certainly starting to get to her.

Each of Euphoria’s characters feel like they’ve evolved, yet none have truly escaped who they are, and it adds to the tension and drama of this evolving third season.

New Players, Greater Danger

Season Three also introduces and expands upon figures who deepen the show’s increasingly dangerous world.
Colman Domingo returns as Ali, Rue’s sponsor, still attempting to guide her toward redemption while sensing the storm gathering around her. And his depth and presence remains as one of the show’s few moral anchors.

Meanwhile, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje makes a striking impression as Alamo Brown, a strip club impresario with an ominous reach into the criminal underworld. Exuding a quite menace, and savage willpower, his position and developing relationship with Rue hints at a larger role to come, and he’s an instant scene stealer, that builds out a sense that this is only the beginning of something far more dangerous.

A Radical Shift in Style

With Season Three of Euphoria, Sam Levinson doesn’t just evolve the story; he reinvents the aesthetic language of it completely.

Season Three adopts a surprising stylistic influence, channelling the wide, sun-scorched visuals of the Western. Burnt ambers, rustic oranges, deep tans and browns, and striking yellows, the true pallete of the great Sergio Leone are present throughout ‘Ándale’, and this delivers a new edge to the visuals. There’s an almost No Country for Old Men-like tension running through the series, with its blend of stark landscapes and sudden, unpredictable violence.

The show’s signature dreamlike visuals remain, but they’re now filtered through a harsher, more grounded lens. Saturated colours give way to a sweaty, lived-in realism, reflecting the characters’ descent into a more unforgiving world. The shift in setting, spanning Los Angeles and Texas, only enhancing this new frontier-like atmosphere.

It’s a bold creative decision, and one that pays off. The world of Euphoria feels bigger, more dangerous, and far less forgiving.

Vice, Desire, and Temptation

True to form, Euphoria doesn’t shy away from its exploration of vice. Season Three continues to push boundaries, with ‘Ándale’ laying the groundwork for a narrative steeped in excess.

There’s a heightened sensuality and burning eroticism to the visuals, building an undercurrent of desire that pulses through every frame. But while these hot visuals add to the edge of the series, they’re also central to the new story that Levinson is laying out, with this scandalous energy functioning as a narrative tool, reflecting the seductive pull of the world these characters inhabit.

Levinson understands that temptation is as much about atmosphere as it is about action. The result is a new narrative that feels intoxicating, drawing viewers into its orbit even as it exposes the cost of indulgence.

Illusion vs Reality

One of the most compelling themes emerging in Season Three is the clash between illusion and reality.

From the glitz of Hollywood to the shadowy underworld that sustains it, Euphoria paints a portrait of a world built on façades. Its characters project confidence, style, and ambition; but beneath the surface, they remain deeply uncertain.

This tension is particularly evident in the show’s Los Angeles setting, where dreams and desperation exist side by side. Levinson uses this backdrop to explore how identity shifts in adulthood, and how the insecurities of youth don’t simply disappear, they evolve. These characters may have left high school behind, but they are far from grown.

The American Dream, Reimagined

There’s also a larger commentary at play with ‘Ándale’ hinting at a broader exploration of what the American Dream is in 2026 – albeit delivered through Levinson’s distinctly skewed lens.

This is a world of hustlers, and opportunists, where success is fleeting and morality is negotiable. Money drives everything, and everyone is chasing something; whether it’s fame, stability, or escape.

For Zendaya’s Rue, that pursuit takes on a more personal dimension. Her journey suggests a longing for peace, even spirituality, adding a layer of introspection to the chaos surrounding her. It’s a subtle but effective thread, grounding the series’ more extreme elements in something human.

Final Verdict: Lighting the Fuse and Letting the Chaos Burn

‘Ándale’ doesn’t just open Season Three; it ignites it. With its searing visuals, high-stakes narrative, and unrelenting intensity, the episode sets the stage for a season that promises to push Euphoria into uncharted territory. This is no longer a story about adolescence; it’s about consequence.

Levinson has crafted a world where every choice carries weight, and where the line between survival and self-destruction grows thinner by the second. It’s thrilling, unsettling, and impossible to look away from.

Season Three of Euphoria is now streaming on NEON.

Image: SKY TV

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A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.

Kristoffer Borgli’s Descent Into Beautiful Chaos

Following the surreal bite of Dream Scenario, filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli pivots into something even more volatile. The Drama sees Borgli sharpening his voice with a kinetic, almost anxiety-inducing style that thrives on discomfort. His direction is jagged and unpredictable, constantly keeping the audience off balance as he digs deep into his characters’ emotional fractures.

What begins as a familiar romantic setup quickly mutates into something far more chaotic. Borgli doesn’t just explore conflict; he weaponises it. The result is a film that feels alive with tension, its tone shifting between biting satire and outright psychological unease in the blink of an eye.

One Confession, Total Collapse

At the centre of The Drama are Emma Harwood (Zendaya), a marketing executive at a literary agency, and Charlie Thompson (Pattinson), a museum curator. They’re weeks away from their wedding, caught up in the whirlwind of tastings, rehearsals, and celebrations that define the lead-up to the big day.

But everything fractures during a seemingly harmless game: a cheeky dare to reveal the worst thing they’ve ever done. What follows is a confession so explosive that it detonates the very foundation of their relationship. From that moment on, The Drama shifts gears entirely, plunging into a spiralling descent of mistrust, paranoia, and emotional volatility.

What’s most striking is just how early this revelation lands. Borgli wastes no time pulling the rug out, setting the stage for a narrative that becomes increasingly twisted, unpredictable, and, at times, uncomfortably raw.

Chemistry Turned Combustible

Zendaya and Pattinson are magnetic together, bringing an effortless chemistry that initially grounds the film in something recognisable and intimate. But as the narrative fractures, so too does their dynamic. What begins as warmth and connection quickly mutates into suspicion, resentment, and emotional warfare.

Rather than delivering a conventional romance, The Drama becomes a jagged exploration of truth, trust, and identity. It asks a deeply unsettling question: how well do we really know the person we love? Both actors rise to the challenge with fearless performances, embracing the film’s tonal swings and pushing their characters into increasingly volatile territory.

Tension, Paranoia, and Pitch-Black Comedy

What makes The Drama so compelling is its relentless escalation. Borgli continuously tightens the screws, layering moment upon moment of unease until the tension becomes almost unbearable. And just when it feels like things can’t possibly get worse, they do.

Yet amidst the anxiety and emotional carnage, there’s a razor-sharp comedic edge. The film thrives on its ability to pivot from intense psychological confrontation to wildly inappropriate, laugh-out-loud moments. It’s this balance of shock and humour that gives The Drama its unique bite, making it as entertaining as it is unsettling.

Unpredictability is the film’s greatest weapon. Every scene feels like it could tip in any direction, keeping audiences locked in a state of constant anticipation.

Final Verdict: A Twisted Love Story That Leaves a Mark

For those seeking safe, traditional storytelling, The Drama is not that film. Instead, it’s a bold, boundary-pushing experience that dives headfirst into the darker edges of intimacy and human connection. It’s messy, volatile, and at times deeply uncomfortable, but that’s exactly the point.

With its fearless performances, razor-sharp direction, and an unflinching commitment to its chaotic vision, The Drama stands as another striking entry in A24’s ever-evolving catalogue. It’s a film that lingers, gnaws, and provokes long after the credits roll.

Image: A24 Films

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Check out the full trailer for Dune: Part Three below:

Drawing from Dune Messiah, the story follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), now deified as Muad’Dib and ruling as Padishah Emperor. His holy war has torn across the galaxy, leaving devastation in its wake, and Paul now finds himself encircled by enemies, conspiracies, and the ever-present shadow of death. At the centre of this rising storm is Scytale, a Tleilaxu Face Dancer (Robert Pattinson), whose calculated and deeply personal conspiracy begins to unravel Paul’s fragile grip on power—and sanity.

 

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With Dune: Part Three, Villeneuve leans fully into Herbert’s most provocative ideas: that charismatic leaders are dangerous, that hero worship breeds ruin, and that even the most powerful figures are undone by their own inner flaws. It’s a bold thematic pivot that promises a darker, more introspective conclusion to the saga.

Once again, the scale is staggering. Arrakis returns in all its harsh majesty, while the consequences of Paul’s interstellar jihad echo across a broken universe. The returning ensemble is as formidable as ever, with Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem all reprising their roles. Notably, Jason Momoa returns as Duncan Idaho; reborn as the ghola Hayt, a haunting echo of the warrior once loyal to House Atreides.

 

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New faces further elevate the drama, including Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Paul’s sister; a formidable, almost otherworldly presence of immense psychic power. Opposite her, Pattinson’s Scytale emerges as a cunning and ruthless adversary, one who sees the fatal flaw in Paul’s empire and moves to exploit it.

 

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Dune: Part Three is shaping up to be an immersive, visually spectacular, and emotionally charged finale—one steeped in political intrigue, existential reckoning, and the devastating cost of absolute power. Following the monumental achievements of Dune and Dune: Part Two, this final chapter looks set to close Villeneuve’s epic with seismic force.

 

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Prepare to walk the sands once more when Dune: Part Three arrives in cinemas on December 17.

Image: Warner Brothers

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Check out the brand new trailer for The Drama below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.

Building off of the already taut experience that was The Drama’s first teaser trauiler, this full trailer pulls audiences into the jitters and sudden fallout of a revelation shared between engaged couple Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) that appears out of nowhere, but which barrels forward like an out of control freight train, and you can forget about trying to figure out what direction The Drama is trying to head in, because things are about to get loco.

Both Zendaya and Pattinson are in tip-top form with this new project, and filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli really rackets up the tension with this one, and coming from the guy who crafted the superb Dream Scenario, we have massive expectations for The Drama, and you just know he’s going to push this one in the most deranged direction possible and we’re down for it.

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Get ready for all kinds of drama when The Drama arrives in cinemas on April 3.

Image: A24 Films

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Watch the all-new teaser trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.

While the new teaser trailer for The Drama only hits at ‘the drama’ to follow, it provides an incredibly interesting tease of what is to come while again showcasing a fertile stage for both Hollywood heavyhitters Zendaya and Robert Pattinson to play upon, and its clear that The Drama will showcase a hell of a lot of emotional range, and it’s going to make for a very heavy watch.

A would-be engaged couple, Emma and Charlie, you can sense the rising tension playing out amidst the actors, and there’s a bubbling explosiveness playing out here that’s going to rise to the surface in a terrible way. It makes for an intriguing experience as an audience member, and given the talent both Zendaya and Pattinson bring to the screen, audiences will absolutely be ready for this.

 

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Get ready for ‘the drama’ when The Drama arrives in cinemas next April 2026.

Image: A24 Films

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Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy turned coach, is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband’s (Mike Faist) redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend (Josh O’Connor).

Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino is a true force in the cinematic arts, and he’s been at the forefront of some of the hottest, steamiest, and most groundbreaking cinema releases in the last two decades. He’s also a true artist who is not afraid to try new things and push himself as a creative, and that’s exactly where he takes us with Challengers, his hard-hitting, court-smashing story of love and tennis. And it’s utterly brilliant. Telling the story of a complex, evolving and at times frayed and twisted love triangle, Guadagnino uses the energy and kinetic speed of the sports genre to explore the lives of three tennis players and their love story is packed together with tension and savagery. And if you think you know what to expect with Challengers, watch out because this film is full of surprises, twists and an ending that will leave you on the edge of your seat with your heart palpitating.

Guadagnino, with screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, crafts a picture in Challengers that moves at a cracking pace and whose back-and-forth narrative keeps you guessing the whole way through. While audiences might come into this film with preconceived notions of what they think a sports film from Luca Guadagnino might be, you’ll be in for a surprise as Guadagnino keeps you guessing and builds his narrative fast. Guadagnino seeks to ground this picture in both tennis and love, and this dual theme of competition and romance adds to the film’s tempo with its back-and-forth motion. While wanting to avoid falling into spoilers, there’s considerable complexity present in this picture’s narrative, making it a riveting watch.

Zendaya is currently Hollywood’s reigning ‘it girl’, and her broad level of work has earned her a legion of fans who will all be frothing at the mouth to see her in his picture. Her performance in Challengers is something you don’t see coming. She stars as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy who suffers a career-ending injury (and it is an utterly gnarly moment to witness), and who shares a complex and, at times, warped romance with the two constant men in her life, her husband Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and former lover Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). This is a performance from Zendaya where she changes everything up, and via the film’s back-and-forth narrative, we find Tashi as an interesting and flawed character.

While not wanting to give too much away, Tashi is not tennis’ ‘American sweetheart’; she’s an utterly ruthless competitor whose life took a turn she could never have planned for, and that’s left her bitter, resentful, and cold. If there’s a concept that informs Tashi’s personality, then it’s definitely the idea of ‘self-interest’, and she’s got a baying narcissism that informs her actions, and she wants to ‘have her cake and eat it too’. Challengers is Zendaya’s most challenging role to date, and she pushes herself to emote in a new way that gets a reaction out of her audience. Zendaya changes things up and is working to push the envelope in a new direction with her performance and it’s absorbing to watch.

In Challengers, Tashi has two dominant male forces in her life, and one of them, Josh O’Connor’s bad boy Patrick Zweig, is more than happy to push her buttons. As a journeyman tennis player who is still competitive, but whose own faults, lack of care and demonstrable ego prevented him from reaching the top position, Patrick is a hell of a character to watch on screen. O’Connor plays him as the ultimate opportunist, almost like a jackal who is up for anything and who has no moral qualms as to what he’ll do to get what he wants. O’Connor’s performance is unpredictable in its presentation, and his erratic behaviour will keep you on edge as you never know what he’s going to do next. With a twinkle in his eye, and a smirk on his face, he changes up the game at every possible moment, and his bad-boy behaviour makes him an absolute scene stealer.

Completing our trio of characters in Challengers is Mike Faist as Art Donaldson, and while he could be said to be the ‘nice guy’ of the piece, that’s only scratching at the surface of a complex and layered character. Where Patrick is the one who never made it, Art made the step up to the big leagues, but this kind of wasn’t ‘his choice’, and let’s just say that Tashi comes first in their relationship. His character has the ‘widest arc’ throughout Challenger’s sweeping narrative, and the change from who he was to who he is will leave you speechless. Art can best be described as the lover who has become a masochist, and Faist’s performance explores some very interesting character angles throughout the picture.

Challengers is a film with many layers and subtexts in its construction, and there’s a lot going on within this narrative thematically that sweeps you up in its back-and-forth passion. However, two dominant themes in the picture, co-dependence and competition, drive the action forward. While not wanting to run too deep in a description of specific moments reacted to these themes, they do drive the story forward, and this co-dependence is a central part of the Tashi-Patrick-Art relationship. And it’s a seething, malignant co-dependence at that. Impulsive urges and morbid jealousies are frequent parts of the narrative, and the competitive spirit of our characters only heightens the intensity of the experience.

Luca Guadagnino knows a thing or two about turning the heat up on the screen (Call Me By Your Name, anyone), and Challengers continues in his ability to create sizzling moments that will have your pheromones working over time. Set across the summer season of America’s duel East and West Coast, Challengers is hot, sweaty and pulsating with sex appeal. Luca Guadagnino has a talent for turning up the volume when it comes to sensuality, and there’s plenty of heat and a good serving of tension between all three of our lead characters. Challengers is a sizzling watch, but not in the way you expect; while Guadagnino is no stranger to explicit love scenes, here, he takes a less is more approach, and it’s what’s implied rather than seen that makes Challengers all the hotter. The ambience of the summer heat and the presence of costume designer J.W. Anderson add to Challengers X factor, making for a very cool and sweaty movie.

As a cinematic experience, Challengers is a rush to witness, and Luca Guadagnino dials up the tempo and pace of the narrative, which helps to keep audiences dialled into the action both on the court and off it. Guadagnino, alongside cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, works to keep the camera moving fast, and with a goal to put the audience directly in the game that is being waged on screen, they succeed. Their innovative camera work, in combination with the whiplash editing of Marco Costa, leads to a fast-paced watch that only takes the tension of this film to a new level. Add in a palette of bright colours, the summer heat and a bubbling sensuality, and you’ve got a picture that sizzles.

Challengers is a picture that takes its audience by surprise and is undoubtedly the sexiest watch of the year. It’s vibing on a whole other level, and there’s so much complexity and depth to its narrative, in addition to its sizzling sensuality, that you can’t help but get caught up in this total grand slam of a movie experience. See it NOW!

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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The first trailer has been released, and it is truly colourful and astounding. Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Following an unsuccessful career as a banker, Phineas Taylor Barnum (Hugh Jackman) takes a chance on his passions and creates the world’s most elaborate circus act, The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 

The Greatest Showman has long been Jackman’s passion project and he has nurtured the film from script to screen for the past seven years. Alongside director Michael Gracey, Jackman is promising audiences a lavish visual spectacle that will recall the grand musicals of the 1930s and 1940s and will once again allow him to unleash his voice just as he did back in 2012’s Les Misérables.

Joining Jackman in the film is a very talented supporting cast including Zac Efron as Barnum’s assistant Phillip Carlyle, Rebecca Ferguson as famed opera singer Jenny Lind, Zendaya as trapeze artist Anne Wheeler and Michelle Williams as Barnum’s wife Charity.

The Greatest Showman is a cinematic spectacle that audiences won’t soon forget so prepare to run away to the circus on December 25 in the US and UK and on December 26 in New Zealand and Australia.

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