Forget Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney's Better R-Rated HBO Show Is A Masterpiece

Published Sep 29, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering everything from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi epics.

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Few stars have enjoyed a more meteoric rise in the 2020s quite like Sydney Sweeney, and Euphoria deserves a lot of credit for putting her on the map. As Cassie Howard, Sweeney turned one of the HBO drama's most emotionally volatile characters into a breakout role. Her work across the show's three seasons helped transform her from a promising young actor into a major Hollywood name.

Sweeney's performance as Cassie once again dominated conversations when Euphoria season 3 arrived this year, and it’s arguably her most well-known role. However, Euphoria isn't the best R-rated TV show Sweeney has appeared in. It's not even the best one from HBO. For all the strengths that have made Euphoria a cultural phenomenon, it doesn't come close to the disturbing psychological power of Sharp Objects, the 2018 HBO miniseries adapted from Gillian Flynn's 2006 novel of the same name.

Sharp Objects is the story of journalist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), who returns to her Missouri hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls while confronting her own trauma. Sydney Sweeney plays Alice, Camille's former roommate at a psychiatric hospital, appearing through memories that gradually reveal more about Camille's dark past. Considering Euphoria and Cassie have amassed such a following partly through shocking storytelling, it's remarkable that more Sweeney fans haven't discovered Sharp Objects. It’s darker, tighter, and far more unsettling.

Nothing In Euphoria Shocks Like Sharp Objects

So much of Euphoria’s reputation hinges on pushing boundaries. From Rue's (Zendaya) addiction to Nate’s (Jacob Elordi) violence, the R-rated HBO series deliberately takes its teenage characters to uncomfortable places. Its revelry in explicit content ensures that even no storyline is safe from suddenly exploding into something disturbing. Few character arcs capture this quite like Cassie's increasingly destructive behavior.

However, as shocking as Euphoria can be, it’s got nothing on Sharp Objects, even if the 2018 miniseries approaches its jaw-dropping moments very differently. Rather than constantly reminding viewers how extreme its world can be, Sharp Objects patiently creates an atmosphere in which something always feels wrong.

The drip-fed reveals that Camille's memories, her relationship with her controlling mother Adora (Patricia Clarkson), and the murders she is investigating are interconnected ensure that viewers have no breathing room. It’s a mystery thriller where every disturbing clue makes what came before it even darker, and every scene exists to deepen the sense of dread and unease.

It may be restrained compared to Euphoria, but the most shocking moments in Sharp Objects are much more devastating. Without giving too much away, the story dives into subjects like Munchausen syndrome by proxy and murders committed by children. Then there’s the infamous dollshouse, which is best encountered without any warning but will live rent-free in viewers' heads for months. Euphoria has a “spray and pray” approach to its shock factor, but Sharp Objects constructs an entire eight-episode nightmare before delivering a final revelation that lingers long after the credits roll.

Sharp Objects Plays To Sydney Sweeney’s Strengths Much Better Than Euphoria

Alice has relatively little screen time in Sharp Objects compared to Cassie in Euphoria, but that only makes Sydney Sweeney’s performance more impressive. Appearing in flashbacks across seven of the show’s eight episodes, Alice meets Camille during her stay in a psychiatric hospital, initially seeming withdrawn and hostile before the two develop a fragile connection. Their relationship culminates in a traumatic event that still haunts Camille in the show’s present day.

Looking back, the 2018 role now looks remarkably predictive of where Sydney Sweeney's career eventually headed. Euphoria made her famous, but her filmography is dominated by thriller and horror movies and TV shows that give her opportunities to explore characters trapped in dangerous, psychologically intense situations. 2020’s Nocturne, 2021’s The Voyeurs, 2024’s Immaculate, and 2025’s Echo Valley and The Housemaid all feel much more like Sweeney’s work on Sharp Objects than Euphoria.

Even more crucially, Sydney Sweeney has also extended her repertoire beyond acting. She produced Immaculate and was instrumental in resurrecting the project years after originally auditioning for an earlier version. Her career increasingly demonstrates an interest in shaping darker projects behind the camera as well as performing in them.

Across her career, Sweeney’s best roles are characters who can appear fragile while concealing considerably darker emotions underneath, making thrillers particularly suited to her strengths. Cassie certainly demonstrates this quality at times, but Euphoria represents only one corner of Sweeney's range. Sharp Objects, despite her smaller role, feels much closer to the performer and creative force she ultimately became.