The new High Fidelity TV series, based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 book and its subsequent 2000 film adaptation starring John Cusack, arrived on Hulu on February 14 – with the show garnering mostly positive reviews.
The gender-swapped reboot sees Zoë Kravitz in the lead role as Robin “Rob” Gordon, a disaffected record store owner navigating life while reflecting on music’s role in her experiences.
After arriving on Valentine’s Day, the show is currently sitting at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 42 reviews, as most fans and critics have praised the series.
.@ZoeKravitz absolutely kills it in #HighFidelity on @Hulu. And the rest of the cast hits all the right notes. Plus the soundtrack for each episode is divine—especially the deep cuts. pic.twitter.com/Vwx9vOFo0E
— Robert Michael Murray ? (@rmmageddon) February 14, 2020
I have to confess … I watched the first two episodes of the new @hulu #HighFidelity series and I really, really enjoyed it. It has the intelligence of the original, with a bit more heart. And @ZoeKravitz is pretty damned outstanding. m/
— Jack Wallen (@jlwallen) February 14, 2020
Zoë Kravitz. The music. The actors.
Yes. Just yes. #HighFidelity pic.twitter.com/cDEyXM43WG
— B. (@brufff22) February 15, 2020
Earlier this week (February 14), the original book’s author Nick Hornby hit back at criticism of the decision to make the central character a woman.
In a piece for Rolling Stone, Hornby states that having a woman play Rob is an important way for fresh audiences to connect. “That it makes so much sense, and speaks so directly to a contemporary audience, is a tribute to the star and her team; it also says something about the ability of pop, rock & roll, etc., to inspire enduring devotion and provide a crucial sense of identification and belonging.”
The new show finds Rob relocated from Chicago to Brooklyn where she recalls her heartbreak through her favourite deep cuts – albeit this time in a digital world. “High Fidelity the TV show deals with the world we’re in now,” Hornby continued in his article.
“The playlists are made digitally, yet the hearts that are broken by feckless men and women are still inconveniently and painfully analog. Somehow, Rob survived the move into the 21st century, because people are still willing to pay for something that’s as ubiquitous as the air we breathe.”
