Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Drinking, nudity, strong language in surreal docudrama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Superstar
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
SUPERSTAR is a docudrama telling the story of Tamara (Ingrid Garcia-Jonsson), a charismatic Y2K-era pop star in Spain who dominated the airwaves only to crash and burn after controversies like a leaked sex tape, pregnancy rumors, and lawsuits sent her career into a tailspin. The six-episode series is told in an anthology format, with each episode focusing on a different person in Tamara's orbit, like her former manager Arkelin (Julian Villagran) or the eccentric "vegetable psychic" Paco Porres (Carlos Areces). Netflix also released a companion documentary called I'm Still a Superstar, featuring archival footage and interviews with the real-life counterparts.
Is It Any Good?
This series takes flamboyant swings with its storytelling that don't always connect, often obscuring whatever point it's trying to make. Audiences in Spain who lived through this wild period in early-aughts entertainment may already know Tamara's lore, and likely won't be put off by Superstar's surrealist and nonlinear approach to storytelling. But those unfamiliar with Tamara's life may find themselves thoroughly confused by the show's disjointed narrative. With frequent tone shifts, animated visual flourishes, and numerous side plots that never actually happened crammed into each episode, the story becomes difficult to follow and even harder to care about.
It can also be very graphic at times, most notably in a scene where cult members brand a nude, tied-up man on his chest and violently strike his fully visible penis. The series is slickly produced, often visually stunning, and well acted, but only viewers with patience (and a high tolerance for gratuitous wackiness) will want to stick with it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about other TV shows and movies they've seen that are about real-life pop stars and musicians. How do they compare to Superstar? Did you notice these shows taking a lot of creative liberties, or were they more straightforward?
Superstar uses a child actress to portray Tamara in one episode, and is pictured mingling with adult men in bars while dressed up and in a full face of makeup. What do you think this choice was meant to symbolize? Was the outcome effective, or did you find it exploitative?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 18, 2025
- Cast : Ingrid Garcia-Jonsson , Julian Villagran , Carlos Areces
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : August 18, 2025
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