Critic Reviews

While it’s hard to imagine rooting for Cusack’s dour, womanizing Rob 20 years later, this revision works. ... What’s even more satisfying is how a change in casting shifts the meaning of Hornby and Frears’ stories. ... In a blow against essentialism, these characters are multifaceted human beings before they’re representatives of their gender, race or sexual orientation.

Empathetic, textured, funny, surprising, and affectionate reimagining.

"Fidelity" works as a new take on a well-known story while standing on its own. Elements from the book and film are playfully reimagined here. ... The writing is sharp and concise, and at 10 half-hour episodes, it feels exactly the right length.

Yes, she’s insufferable, and yes there are times I had to press pause from second-hand embarrassment to yell at the screen, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING ROB?”, but as a woman of color who once cried over the mere thought of someone taking her Led Zeppelin records post-breakup, it was nice to feel seen for once. Besides, even in her problematic self-indulgence, there’s something in Kravitz’s portrayal of Rob that makes you feel for her.

The series sets up myriad intriguing possibilities and wows with enough stellar soundtrack songs and pop culture-laden dialogue to keep us on the hook for more. By the final episodes, the previous High Fidelity seems less like a copied original and more like an inspired springboard to enable a more engaging character to improve her life and herself.

By the time Episode 5 rolls around, with the great Parker Posey guest-starring as a kooky artist looking to unload her cheating husband’s mega valuable record collection, High Fidelity has established a funky, unassuming charm all its own. It’s kind of like your favorite local dive bar: nothing too flashy, but a reliable combination of fun people, a killer jukebox and good vibes.

Viewers expecting a tight, compact album might be pleasantly surprised to see this season take on a more open-ended Spotify playlist feel, designed to keep playing and be enjoyed knowing that the end is still far in the future. At times, it’s an eclectic mix of ideas and execution, but there’s a great amount of satisfaction in just letting it all wash over you.

With Kravitz stepping into the role of Rob, now a queer black woman who owns a record store in Brooklyn, High Fidelity becomes a much more sincere project. By the very nature of the generational shift to millennials – and the change in leads – Hulu's adaptation has nary an ironic bone in sight.

High Fidelity uses its brilliant cast, sharp writing, and hypnotically cool set design to examine how relationships have and haven’t changed in the modern era.

Rob is arguably the quintessential John Cusack role, but Kravitz winningly steps into those shoes. ... Even if this TV mixtape of High Fidelity misses some fundamental ideas behind the source material, it's still a delight. [Feb 2020, p.86]