‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ Prime Video Series Review - Riley Keough and Sam Claflin's Chemistry is Off the Charts

Is it possible to be compatible with a person who is very passionate about his work? Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) is the lead singer/songwriter of a band called The Six, while his wife, Camila Alvarez (Camila Morrone), is a photographer. This couple is in love all right, but Billy finds himself getting attracted to Daisy Jones (Riley Keough), who, like Billy, is a singer/songwriter and likes to be in the spotlight. Daisy and Billy regularly argue, though they also find something relatable between them. Both are fueled with the desire to write great songs, and both end up pushing each other's buttons in their artistic pursuit. If one were to represent them using a Venn diagram, one would find two circles on top of one another.

Or take Graham Dunne (Will Harrison), for instance. This band member's relationship with a psychology student becomes rough when the latter praises a song that the former considers terrible. Even a character's marriage to a prince ends with separation. So can it be concluded that if you and your lover have different tastes and work in different professions, your bond will constantly undergo severe strain, and eventually, you will break up?

Well, that's what Daisy Jones & The Six seems to be suggesting to us, though it does not stop here. Like any other series/movie about a group or rockstar's rise and fall, Daisy Jones & The Six has an up-and-down graph. The band members initially struggle, eat the fruit of fame, and then disband. The cause of their separation is slowly told to us throughout the ten episodes, and it's all quite pleasing to watch. Since the show deals with the concept of fame, you can bet that drugs, too, are involved. The characters drink and snort and set the stage on fire. But if these drugs make them high, they also send them crashing down to the earth. Daisy Jones & The Six packs in a moral lesson: Don't do drugs.

The spinning camera movements express the excitement of performing live in front of a large crowd. You can find them during the song sequences, conjuring intense energy and soaking us up in the liveliness. The series makes you feel like one of those spectators in the crowd, high on the music being dispensed by the band members. Daisy Jones & The Six infects you with its feverish charm. It knows how to captivate us with its impassioned beats, as well as the power of its actors. The potential of the material is properly mined for dramatic effect. Once you are on this romantic bandwagon, you refuse to step down until you reach the bittersweet destination.

The high point here is undoubtedly the chemistry between Claflin and Keough. The sexual tension between them is off the charts. These two are like dynamites, exploding in each other's presence. Their characters - Billy and Daisy - are like mirror images. It's not just the fact that the two of them constantly want to have the upper hand and like to beat one another with their exceptional talent. But there are other common patterns related to their lives, like their addiction to drugs. Look at the scene where they first meet each other. Or the one where they turn the radio in a car on and off. It's so much fun to watch this pair together. The other actors are also admirable, though I would like to mention Nabiyah Be, as she chews up every scene she's part of, sometimes simply by staring at a character.

Daisy Jones & The Six moves between past and present. In the latter timeline, the characters are old and interviewed by someone. As all the actors are superb, you feel as if the dramatis personae are really recounting an authentic experience. Their joyful memories, as well as regrets, become palpable, and you are able to notice the scars of a life foregone. In the past, you observe the characters' transformation from innocent souls to experienced professionals, and these changes are utterly credible.

The series informs us at the beginning that the band members will eventually go their separate ways. If you binge-watch the show, you might feel mental exhaustion upon reaching the final episode. That sensation actually gets aligned with the fatigue you notice in the characters, putting you on the same page with them. As a result, you identify with them a little bit more. The bittersweet climax lands with vehemence, and people on both sides of the screen exit with broad smiles on their faces. Daisy Jones & The Six bows down gracefully, and while it doesn't exactly leave you screaming "Encore!" it does make a good impression.

Final Score- [8.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All ten episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: March 3, 2023, on Prime Video (Three episodes on the first two Fridays and thereafter two episodes each Friday till March 24)