Quick Info
I stumbled onto "The Eddy" on Netflix a while back, and I was pleasantly surprised by how textured and authentic it felt for a music drama. The show is set in Paris and spins around a struggling jazz club, weaving together threads of crime, family friction, and—at the heart of it all—some truly soulful jazz music. It’s bold in the way it mixes English and French dialogue, which makes the city’s atmosphere feel genuinely lived-in rather than just a backdrop.
What really gripped me was the way it captured the messiness of life and creativity. André Holland leads the cast as a burnt-out American musician trying to keep his club afloat; his character feels raw and realistically flawed. The supporting musicians, many of them real jazz performers, bring a loose, improvisational spirit that seeps into every episode—sometimes it’s like you’re catching them off-guard, in the best way.
I have to admit, the story structure isn’t always super tight. Early episodes zigzag from character to character—one episode focuses intensely on the club’s co-owner, another on the lead singer—which can be a little jarring if you’re after a fast, linear plot. But that same meandering quality gives space for some really poignant moments and quiet tension, where you can practically feel cigarette smoke and the weight of unspoken words.
Cinematography-wise, Damien Chazelle (of "La La Land" fame) directed the first couple episodes and set the tone: handheld camera work, shaky but intimate, trailing the characters through cramped alleyways, tiny apartments, and neon-lit performance spaces. There are some gorgeous musical set pieces, where the camera just settles and lets you soak in a song—these are the highlights for sure.
You would enjoy this if you like moody, character-driven dramas with a heavy dose of real jazz and don’t mind a slower, more atmospheric pace over explosive action. Musicians, fans of stories about flawed artists, or anyone who’s lived in a city where dreams feel both close and out of reach should give it a shot.
