The White Lotus proved to be one of the most surprising hits of 2021 - perfectly combining peoples’ need for drama, a good mystery, and the sunshine getaway we were denied during the pandemic.
Created by Mike White, The White Lotus centres around an idyllic, five-star resort chain, and the lives of the rich and entitled guests that come to visit.
Released in July 2021, the Hawaii-based season one proved to be an immediate hit - earning a 90 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In fact, it was so successful, the initially-intended limited series was re-adjusted into an anthology with a second season.
Here’s what reviewers have had to say about the show, if you’re thinking about checking in…
Empire Magazine says:
The series peels away the layers of liberal entitlement to expose the emptiness within, there are surprising moments of intense sincerity, too. As hard as The White Lotus is to pin down, it’s undoubtedly a subversive triumph. Full review here >
The Independent says:
Even in this nightmarish vision of paradise, there are plenty of human remains, and this sharp, funny series, quite possibly the comedy of the year so far, is all the richer for it. Full review here >
Variety says:
The best compliment to give a Mike White series is that it’s near impossible to categorise. [...] The White Lotus defies attempts to pin it down from the very beginning as it deftly threads the needles of several genres at once. Full review here >
The Guardian says:
White’s deft and unforgiving writing manages what so many others have tried and failed to do in the last five years. He’s created a deeply funny and bracingly topical piece of art that prods and provokes without preaching. Full review here >
NME
We are lucky to have shows like The White Lotus. We should scoff them up while we can. Full review here >
Evening Standard says:
Dreadful rich people make for brilliant TV (as Succession has proved so decisively) but it is rare to see their privileges and prejudices skewered with such relentless precision. [...] This is one holiday from hell you’ll actually want to relive again and again. Full review here >
CNN says:
What really defines The White Lotus is the addictive way each story builds, exposing character quirks, doubts and secrets along the way. Full review here >
The Times says:
“Played out, thrillingly, is the rot that lurks beneath silk and diamond exteriors, people oozing entitlement but no empathy. When you are paying this much how can anything be good enough? It is a self-made hell in paradise: delicious.” Full review here >