The Eddy Review: It Carries A Beautiful Tune, But Can Prove Frustrating
Music can be a cure for heartache and be a way of life. Netflix’s limited series The Eddy delves into that notion with open arms, linking its characters through their tough times and trying to make it while always having music at the end of the day as the one thing people can rely on.
Jazz is certainly not for everyone, but on The Eddy, it’s like an exclamation point. It always comes back to the music. It becomes an unburdening, shaking loose the trials as the music is their salvation, the thing that is always right and a saving grace for each character in their own way.
It’s their way of releasing the pain they hold, where they pour their heart and soul into their craft and leave it all on the stage. The Eddy does not shy away from the difficulties and internal strife that every character struggles with, giving its leads a raw and unfiltered dissection as they go through their day-to-day.
The show follows a number of people that are associated with The Eddy club in Paris, France. It’s owned by Elliot (Andre Holland) as he faces financial difficulties and tragedy with his club band (headlined by Maja, played by the always wonderful Joanna Kulig) and his daughter (Julie, played by Amandla Stenberg) at his side as they live and breathe life and music alike.
Each episode focuses in on a single character while continuing the regular narrative, where a larger picture starts to unfold as we learn more and more about their lives. Everyone is hurting in their own way, but as previously mentioned, there’s always the music to calm the storm.
The show that keeps coming to mind is Treme, the HBO series that similarly marries jazz and emotion with the backdrop of heartbreak. They are certainly different shows, to be sure, but their spirit is similar in how they both show the music as a great crescendo to the pain each character carries with them.
Some characters prove to be rather impenetrable even as the eight episodes come to a close, as much an enigma from their own centric episodes that leave them needing more to stand out from their repressed state. Some are rather withdrawn even as we try to get to know them intimately, and while this may be for intrigue, it leaves them feeling a little hollowed out.
There is also the case that some story threads are downright frustrating, where things that should be said aren’t said and comes across as stalling rather than a choice by the character. An overarching mystery that hangs over the season is the main culprit for this, leaving the bigger picture beyond these characters and the club feeling a little half-baked.
The headlining director is certainly the acclaimed Damien Chazelle, but equal praise is deserved for fellow co-directors Houda Benyamina, Laila Marrakchi, and Alan Poul. All bring a sense of energy to the culture and the spirit that carries The Eddy.
The camera work is handheld and constantly moving, creating this sense that you’re inside the scene, living and breathing the gorgeous soundscape and wonderful vibes the show provides at its crescendos. It’s as though the camera is darting about like an eye looking to capture that magical moment to tie everything together.
It’s here where the spirit of the show shines so brightly, where the music and filmmaking marry and create a lasting impression.
It also helps to create this constricting feeling of being trapped, placing us inside this tense headspace for some characters as they face potential ruin.
But at the end of the day, there is always the music. It’s beautiful, energetic, and enthusiastic. There is so much passion and excitement during these scenes that it can be easy to forgive and forget the faults that come in between, that’s how strong the performances and smaller, quieter music-based moments play.
The Eddy can be a wonderful show at certain points, and stifling and withholding the next. The exhilarating points definitely outweigh the more frustrating pieces, and there are strong moments from the entire cast, including Andre Holland, Amandla Stenberg, and Leila Bekhti. It’s a show about passion, and it carries that passion deep in its bones.
Some may find it a difficult show while others will find something completely unlike anything else currently on television. It’s both, and it may be perfectly pleased with being both.
What did you think of this season of The Eddy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
The Eddy streams Friday, May 8 on Netflix.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.