The White Lotus
The White Lotus
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The White Lotus

"Same luxury. New reservations."

7.6
Yr 2021
Status Returning Series
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Follow the exploits of various guests and employees at an exclusive tropical resort over the span of a week as with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees and the idyllic locale itself.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 92 /100

Mike White's HBO series received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising it as a mercilessly sharp, deeply uncomfortable, and dark satire on wealth privilege, class exploitation, and entitlement. Set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort with a looming death mystery at its center, critics described the show as an intoxicating, sun-soaked look at the dark underbelly of luxury travel and high-society dynamics.

The show's ensemble cast earned glowing marks across the board. Critics specifically celebrated Jennifer Coolidge for delivering a layered, career-defining performance, alongside Murray Bartlett's exquisitely spiraling portrayal of the hotel manager. Stellar turns from actors like Natasha Rothwell and Alexandra Daddario were also highlighted as key factors that elevated the series beyond standard wealth satires.

While intensely uncomfortable at times, reviewers found the show to be alternately hilarious and deeply unsettling. Its ability to turn minor customer service irritations into escalating psychological drama cemented its status among critics as a compelling, radical, and essential piece of television.

“A mercilessly sharp satire of toxic wealth, entitlement and class exploitation with a truly radical, subversive tone that separates it from the crowd.”

“Alternately hilarious and unsettling, “The White Lotus” isn’t a feel-good watch, but it is a must-watch.”

“A scathing class comedy that disturbs and delights”

“2021’s best, and most uncomfortable, TV show”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Why fans love it

The White Lotus functions as a biting autopsy of the vacation mindset. By trapping wealthy guests and the staff tasked with serving them in the same luxury bubbles of Sicily or Thailand, the series transforms a week of leisure into a pressure-cooker of social tension. Jennifer Coolidge anchors the ensemble as a character whose personal crises consistently collide with the fragile veneer of resort hospitality.

The series blends the structure of a whodunit with the slow-burn discomfort of class satire. Every interaction between the self-help gurus, tourists, and service workers reveals a new layer of entitlement or resentment. It favors a steady rise in anxiety over predictable plot twists, turning sun-drenched settings into stages for human vanity and moral decay.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 34
Longest run 14 eps
Show 67 more
Sarah Catherine Hook as Piper Ratliff 8 episodes Meghann Fahy as Daphne Sullivan 7 episodes Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff 8 episodes Beatrice Grannò as Mia 7 episodes Parker Posey as Victoria Ratliff 8 episodes Jon Gries as Greg Hunt 14 episodes Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina 7 episodes Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff 8 episodes Alexandra Daddario as Rachel Patton 6 episodes Tayme Thapthimthong as Gaitok 8 episodes Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso 7 episodes Theo James as Cameron Sullivan 7 episodes Aimee Lou Wood as Chelsea 8 episodes Fred Hechinger as Quinn Mossbacher 6 episodes LISA as Mook 8 episodes Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller 7 episodes Michelle Monaghan as Jaclyn Lemon 8 episodes Haley Lu Richardson as Portia 7 episodes Jake Lacy as Shane Patton 6 episodes Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey 14 episodes Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller 7 episodes Simona Tabasco as Lucia Greco 7 episodes Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff 8 episodes Patravadi Mejudhon as Sritala Hollinger 8 episodes Tom Hollander as Quentin 7 episodes Leo Woodall as Jack 7 episodes Brittany O'Grady as Paula 6 episodes Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher 6 episodes Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher 6 episodes Loretta Ables Sayre as Housekeeper 3 episodes Jesse James Steele as Conch Blower 3 episodes Marc Volkmer as German Newlywed 2 episodes Mara Kahn as German Newlywed 2 episodes Michael Trisler as Scuba Instructor 4 episodes Joe Landry 2 episodes Kekoa Kekumano as Kai 5 episodes Lukas Gage as Dillon 5 episodes Christie Volkmer as Christie 4 episodes Alec Merlino as Hutch 5 episodes Brad Kalilimoku as Canoeist 3 episodes Shea Lokahi Timothy Fabiana as Canoeist 3 episodes Nathan Feitos as Canoeist 3 episodes Imani McNorton as Canoeist 3 episodes Denton Kukahiko as Canoeist 3 episodes Federico Ferrante as Rocco 6 episodes Eleonora Romandini as Isabella 7 episodes Federico Scribani as Giuseppe 5 episodes Paolo Camilli as Hugo 5 episodes Bruno Gouery as Didier 5 episodes Francesco Zecca as Matteo 5 episodes Nicholas Duvernay as Zion Lindsey 4 episodes Arnas Fedaravičius as Valentin 7 episodes Christian Friedel as Fabian 7 episodes Dom Hetrakul as Pornchai 7 episodes Charlotte Le Bon as Chloe 7 episodes Morgana O'Reilly as Pam 6 episodes Shalini Peiris as Amrita 6 episodes Pree Asvaraksha as Bodyguard #1 4 episodes Luksika Guendaraju as Therapist 3 episodes Julian Kostov as Aleksei 4 episodes Yuri Kolokolnikov as Vlad 4 episodes Yothin Udomsanti as Lek 3 episodes Thanapat "Oat" Noitawee as Bodyguard #2 3 episodes Rob Carlton as Rupert 3 episodes Praiya Suandokmai as Praya 3 episodes Sommanat Natt Suttichada as Greg's Butler 3 episodes Sam Rockwell as Frank 4 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Second Second Assistant Director
Stunts
Production Design
Director of Photography
First Assistant Director
Costume Design
Second Assistant Director
Assistant Property Master
Unit Production Manager
Script Supervisor
Costume Supervisor
Art Department Coordinator
Script Coordinator
Third Assistant Director
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The White Lotus overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

hotel sicily, italy exotic island hawaii exploitation thailand palermo, sicily class vacation satire anthology whodunit self help guru incest beach resort class conflict self reflection social elite rejuvenation mental peace provocative sardonic scathing
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
July 11, 2021
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
1,485