Summary
The Rebelde remake fancies itself as an intense, merry-go-round YA series but becomes too lusted with the teen genre.
This review of Netflix’s Rebelde (2022) season 1 does not contain spoilers.
I know what you are thinking. Is this the next Glee? God forbid us if it is. But the answer is simply no — Rebelde is hardly a feel-good teen musical drama. It’s rarely a musical, though it does propose some new songs. Rebelde is the 2022 remake of the 2004 series, so there’s a chance of nostalgic vibes as the original band takes the stage.
Fortunately, I was completely unaware of the original series when experiencing the remake. I went into Rebelde with fresh eyes. What was unveiled was a typical high school drama, circling hormone fuelled teenagers as a musical band tries to compete in adverse conditions. They are being terrorized emotionally and physically by an unknown group of students named “The Lodge.”
The conspiratorial approach only has a lasting effect for a few episodes as Jana and her bandmates battle with fleeting romantic prospects and the risk of being suspended from school. The Rebelde remake fancies itself as an intense, merry-go-round YA series but becomes too lusted with the teen genre. I cannot comment if this feels original compared to its predecessor, but the remake does feel unoriginal.
The glimmering hope for the series is that when the band does enjoy their music, there’s a window of escapist entertainment. The cast appears to enjoy blessing themselves with the aura of their characters while melting in the music. There are a few moments that are grandstanding and effective.
But apart from some dramatic moments that tingle the mind slightly, Rebelde season 1 becomes painstakingly routine and made me wonder whether the teen formula is wearing off, especially after Netflix’s Christmas release of Kitz, which also felt undelivered.
The streaming service enjoys teen dramas. Heck, they’ve produced enough of them, but Rebelde feels like a series added to the growing “no” pile list. I tried my hardest to enjoy it, but that’s not how teen dramas are meant to be. They are intended to be engaging, entertaining, and relatable to your youth. The remake could have been so much more, and I hope it does service to the original, at least for the fans.
What did you think of Netflix’s Rebelde (2022) season 1? Comment below.
