Daisy Jones and the Six: A Critical Review of the Prime Video Show

The story revolves around a group of guys headed by Billy Dunne, a supposedly charismatic perfectionist, who scrape together a cool musical existence as The Dunne Brothers. Their lives are changed when their record label shoves them together with Daisy, a party-hard groupie turned singer-songwriter who is not like other girls.

The series presents Daisy as a girl who’s there for the music, not to hook up or get high

Daisy is a bright spot in a series that mostly doesn’t work. Riley Keough imbues her performance with shades of sadness, joy, self-destruction, and self-possession. The series deftly demonstrates how often men in her life attempt to shove her into a box labeled “muse,” “pretty face,” or “girlfriend.” It’s a dynamic that remains interesting throughout the show’s ten-episode run.

Daisy Jones and the Six does considerably better when it leans into the music at its core. The show doesn’t hedge its bets when it comes to turning Reid’s songs into the real deal, and it reimagines more than one of the novel’s key hits. The music is emotive and extremely catchy, made in real life by an impressive slate of collaborators that includes Phoebe Bridgers and Marcus Mumford, according to Billboard.

While some supporting cast members get more time to shine, others feel largely stiff and awkward due to choppy editing. Tom Wright plays music industry veteran Teddy Price as a weary-but-wise mentor, while the always-welcome Timothy Olyphant pops up as a tour manager. The show rewrites the story of Daisy’s best friend Simone, a disco star played warmly by Nabiyah Be, for the better. Camila Morrone skillfully pulls off the series’ biggest challenge, playing a character who struggles with addiction.

Daisy Jones and the Six falls short of its hype, feeling too formulaic and fake. While the show’s music is emotive and highly catchy, the supporting cast members’ performances and the choppy editing make it fall flat. Despite Riley Keough’s outstanding performance, the series cannot rise to the challenge of sincerity laid out by its source material.