Premiered: July 11, 2021

On: HBO Max

Starring: Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn, Molly Shannon, Lukas Gage, Kekoa Scott Kekumano, Alec Merlino, Jon Gries & Jolene Purdy

To say The White Lotus is odd would be an understatement, but once you start connecting with the characters, you won’t want to look away.

Three sets of people come to stay at the White Lotus resort in Hawaii, which is managed by Armond (Murray Bartlett) and has a spa managed by Belinda (Natasha Rothwell). The Mossbachers are on a family vacation, Shane (Jake Lacy) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) are on their honeymoon and Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) is grieving the loss of her mother.

Although everyone gives strong performances, Bartlett and Coolidge should be ready for all the awards that will surely come their way. Bartlett brings humanity to Armond’s descent into madness that will have you cheering for him, while Coolidge is as funny as ever.

Final say: A trip you don’t want to take but love to watch. ★★★★★