Given the show's heavy hand in creative depictions, Euphoria is full of symbolism using vivid imagery. Whether it be through colorful aesthetics or cultural metaphors through the lens of Hollywood blockbusters, it's clear that every artistic seed planted is purposeful.
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has gone on record several times to say that, just like any artist, he draws creative inspiration from other forms of art and pays homage to them through the show. Whether fans caught all of the references or not, it's undeniable that there are endless top-notch movie tributes in the show that perhaps tell a deeper story.
Royal Wedding (1951)
The film references begin as early as the first episode of the first season when Rue is seen doing drugs in the bathroom of a party. When Rue exits the bathroom, the hallway begins to slowly pivot and spin her around, depicting her being in another world as everyone else remains grounded.
While many films have used this same technique, including Inception and even High School Musical 3, however, Royal Wedding was among the first films to do this, dating back to 1951. Fans loved this portrayal, as it always makes a statement and paints a striking picture.
Fear (1996)
In the second episode of season one, Cassie glances at the TV and shows a pivotal moment in the film Fear, which is a movie about a boy that starts seeing a girl and starts becoming obsessed with her and her family in a sinister way. In the scene, Mark Wahlberg's character is shown beating his chest, which heavily foreshadows what is going to happen next with Nate.
The reason for Mark's character beating his chest was so he could frame his girlfriend's father for beating him after their confrontation. Much like the movie, Nate is seen beating Tyler, the guy he is framing for his negative relations with Maddy at the party, and he even changes into Mark's outfit afterward.
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
One of Zendaya's best performances in the show was in the third episode of the first season where Rue is seen beating on Fez's door, begging him for more drugs while hurling insults at him and having a full-on emotional breakdown. After this scene aired, fans noticed that the scene was quite similar to one of The Basketball Diaries.
Much like Euphoria portrays, The Basketball Diaries also centers around a drug addict, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Leo plays a similar scene when he comes to his mother's door begging for money, and he also has an eerily identical breakdown scene that fans also have a difficult time watching.
Bonnie And Clyde (1967)
The fifth episode of the first season is named "Bonnie And Clyde," so it's safe to say that one of the best couples-on-the-run movies plays a role in the Euphoria plot. The episode continues the storyline of the investigation with Nate and Maddy's incident from the carnival, so the episode, in general, heavily alludes to crime and investigation as it is.
While the fifth episode shows quite a divide between Maddy and Nate as they suffer through this difficult situation, the sixth episode to follow shows them reunited in the end. The Halloween episode ends with Maddy and Nate attending a party together, with Nate dressed as a prisoner, and Maddy dressed as Iris "Easy" Steensma from the crime film Taxi Driver, which was a humorous way for the two characters to essential say, "we don't care what people think, we're in the trenches together."
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
In the same Halloween episode, Jules dressed as Juliet Capulet from the Romeo + Juliet adaptation of 1996. A scene is even recreated when Jules falls into the pool with Rue and they kiss underwater, as portrayed in Act II of the play.
This portrayal was the first of many times fans caught on to the sudden symbolism, as Rue is insinuated to be the Romeo to Jules' Juliet. In the play, Romeo accepts his fate by drinking poison, which fans believe is a direct parallel to Rue's intense drug addition which might later kill her. However, knowing that Juliet ends up taking her own life in the play after Romeo, this comparison makes fans uneasy, as they can only assume Jules will end up dying as well if the two stories are truly similar.
Goodfellas (1990)
The second season started off with another tribute to the classic crime film fans love to watch over and over, Goodfellas. The Martin Scorsese film had a particular look, which Levinson clearly tried to embody down to the shooting style and vibe of the throwback to Fez's grandmother's edgy past.
In addition to using famous songs from the film, Levinson played homage to the film a second time in episode five. Similar to how Henry flipped on Karen for flushing his drugs down the toilet in Goodfellas, Rue also lost her mind upon discovering that her mother, Jules, and Elliot teamed up to rid of the suitcase and flush her drugs down the toilet, as well.
Ghost (1990)
The beginning of the fourth episode of the second season starts by portraying Rue and Jules as stars of different movies, one of them being Ghost. The film involves the ghost of a woman's lover that she communicates with through a medium, and Rue played Patrick Swayze's character while Jules played Demi Moore's.
While Ghost is beloved by many as a tragic love story, the fans of Euphoria did not appreciate the foreshadowing as much. Given that Swayze's character obviously passes away in the film, Rue portraying him was no coincidence.
Titanic (1997)
Another film Rue and Jules roleplayed with were Titanic, with Rue as Jack and Jules as Rose. Fans of the film know that Jack dies in the end, so knowing that Rue was Jack in the scenario further proves that Levinson wants us to think Rue will eventually die.
Not only is the foreshadowing strong with this portrayal, but it speaks to Rue and Jules' relationship, as well. Rue would have happily sacrificed herself to save Jules if she needed to, so this strong symbolism serves an even deeper meaning.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Rue and Jules additionally paid homage to Brokeback Mountain in episode four. The film's story is about two cowboys, Jack and Ennis, that share a complicated and secret romance, with Rue being Jack and Jules being Ennis. Brokeback Mountain is adored by many, as it was an unconventional story for its time, yet has one of the most realistic depictions of love.
However, fans were once again distraught seeing Rue portray yet another character that dies in the film. While Euphoria chose great films to embody in episode four, the fans were on edge, wondering what exactly Levinson was trying to foreshadow with Rue's fate.
Stand By Me (1986)
In the sixth episode of season two, Lexi and Fez bond over the fact that they both love the movie Stand By Me while discussing the trajectory of Lexi's play. The film involved four young boys that became fast friends while on a quest to discover a dead body.
When the film flashes forward to show all of the boy's futures, it is revealed that Chris was murdered while breaking up a fight. Although the main motive for including this film might have just stood as a message for Fez and Lexi to stick together, fans believe that the same message could be outstretched to Maddy and Cassie, as they navigate putting their friendship over unhinged Nate. However, fans even think that it perhaps serves as foreshadowing with an unexpected character sacrificing themselves during a larger conflict later in the show, much like Chris' fate in the film.