In the second season of Euphoria, a hard cut towards the end of episode four showed Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, staring forlorn towards nothing in particular, face tabula rasa, brain bridled with overwhelming anxiety.

It’s so good. So so good.

Director of Photography Marcell Rév spoke about this shot directly, with the framing and positioning built from imagery prominently found surrounding Mary, the mother of Jesus. “(This episode’s) montage I really like: iconic images of our characters in a setting that’s not totally real or in a light that’s not totally real. … Our inspiration was Mexican murals.”

The subtle nod to this spiritual realm — you see the references in the shot when you’re told about them, and maybe it was even in your subconscious before that, too — is propping up a vein in the second season of the show, too, as Levinson introduces religious undertones and alludes to spiritual purpose in the plot.

“Mexican murals from the turn of the century, Cassie with all the flowers… It became a way for us to be inside their worlds without having to break down everything on a logical level and to allow for a slightly more metaphysical perspective to take over the show. It became a way of exploring that on a visual level as opposed to just words, words, words.”

Sam Levinson
Writer and Director, Euphoria

Even if you cut all that out and it was only the shot as a frame, you’re still fixated on it, fascinating and angelic.