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Published Aug 21, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT

Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

HBO's psychological thriller series with a talented ensemble has seemingly only gotten better with time, and it is one of the shows from the past decade to have aged like fine wine. We know that sometimes, a show might start out great and end badly, making it difficult to keep the same positive image it had during early episodes or seasons years later.

Among HBO's best shows are a couple that know that well, with Game of Thrones likely being the one that will come first to many viewers' minds. After all, it had a phenomenal start that led to a thrilling run, only for the fantasy series to end on a whimper. Thankfully, HBO's limited series escape that problem, as many of them are perfect from start to finish.

With fewer episodes, it is harder to go off track. That said, not all of HBO's limited series have managed to become even better with time, even if no new episodes are released. That is the case for this dark psychological thriller series that debuted back in 2018. HBO viewers might have heard of a show led by none other than Amy Adams.

Hollywood · Rising Star Dossier How Well Do You Know Sydney Sweeney? From Euphoria to the big screen — test your knowledge

🎡EuphoriaCassie Howard

🏜White
LotusOlivia Mossbacher

📸Anyone
But YouBea

🎬RealityWinner

⛫ImmaculateSister Cecilia

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Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role on HBO’s “Euphoria” earned her widespread recognition. What is the name of her character on the show?

AMaddy Perez BRue Bennett CCassie Howard DLexi Howard

✓ Correct! Sydney plays Cassie Howard, the emotionally vulnerable and people-pleasing teen whose turbulent love life becomes a central storyline. Her Season 2 performance — especially the iconic bathroom meltdown scenes — earned her an Emmy nomination.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Cassie Howard. Rue Bennett is Zendaya’s character, Maddy Perez is played by Alexa Demie, and Lexi Howard (Cassie’s sister) is played by Maude Apatow. Sydney’s Cassie became one of Season 2’s most talked-about characters.

In the first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Sydney plays a sharp, judgmental college student vacationing in Hawaii. What is her character’s name?

ARachel Patton BOlivia Mossbacher CPaula DQuinn Mossbacher

✓ Correct! Sydney plays Olivia Mossbacher, the privileged and intellectually pretentious daughter of the Mossbacher family. Her deadpan delivery and snobbish attitude made Olivia a fan-favorite character in Mike White’s satirical hit.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Olivia Mossbacher. Rachel is Alexandra Daddario’s character, Paula is Brittany O’Grady’s role (Olivia’s best friend), and Quinn is Olivia’s younger brother. Sydney’s Olivia steals every scene with her cutting commentary.

Before her major breakout, Sydney appeared in a critically acclaimed Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Which show was it?

AThe Handmaid’s Tale BCastle Rock CThe Act DLittle Fires Everywhere

✓ Correct! Sydney played Eden Spencer in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a devout and obedient young bride in the oppressive Gilead regime. Despite being a recurring role, her performance was emotionally devastating and showed her dramatic range early on.

✗ Not quite! The answer is The Handmaid’s Tale. Sydney played Eden Spencer, a 15-year-old bride in Gilead during Season 2. It was one of her first major prestige TV roles and demonstrated the dramatic talent that would later explode with Euphoria.

Sydney starred in the surprise rom-com hit “Anyone But You” (2023). Which actor plays her love interest, Ben, in the film?

AJacob Elordi BAustin Butler CHarris Dickinson DGlen Powell

✓ Correct! Glen Powell plays Ben opposite Sydney’s Bea in this modern retelling inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The film became a sleeper box office hit, earning over $220 million worldwide and reviving the theatrical rom-com genre.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Glen Powell. While Jacob Elordi is Sydney’s Euphoria co-star, it’s Glen Powell who plays her enemies-to-lovers match in “Anyone But You.” The film’s massive success was credited to their electric chemistry.

Sydney starred in and produced the 2024 horror film “Immaculate.” Where is the film primarily set?

AA haunted boarding school in England BA remote convent in the Italian countryside CAn abandoned hospital in France DA secluded monastery in Spain

✓ Correct! “Immaculate” is set in a remote Italian convent where Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a young American nun who discovers the institution harbors terrifying secrets. Sydney also served as a producer on the film, marking a significant step in her behind-the-camera career.

✗ Not quite! The answer is a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a devout young nun who travels to Italy only to find herself trapped in a nightmare. The film was shot on location in Italy and showcased Sydney’s range as both star and producer.

Sydney made Emmy history in 2022 by earning two acting nominations in the same year for two different HBO shows. “Euphoria” was one — what was the other?

ASharp Objects BSuccession CThe White Lotus DThe Handmaid’s Tale

✓ Correct! In 2022, Sydney earned a Supporting Actress nomination for “Euphoria” and a Limited Series Supporting Actress nomination for “The White Lotus” — both on HBO. Being double-nominated across two of the network’s biggest shows cemented her as one of the most in-demand young actresses in Hollywood.

✗ Not quite! The answer is The White Lotus. Sydney’s dual nominations for Euphoria and The White Lotus in the same Emmy cycle was a remarkable achievement. Both shows were critical and commercial hits for HBO, and Sydney was central to each.

In the 2023 HBO film “Reality,” Sydney plays a real-life person — an NSA whistleblower who leaked classified documents to the press. Who did she portray?

AReality Winner BChelsea Manning CTerry Albury DNatalie Mayflower Sours Edwards

✓ Correct! Sydney portrays Reality Winner, the former Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who was arrested in 2017 for leaking a classified report on Russian election interference. The film recreates her FBI interrogation using actual transcript recordings and was praised for Sydney’s riveting, restrained performance.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Reality Winner. The HBO film is based on the real FBI interrogation of Reality Winner, who leaked classified intelligence documents. Sydney’s intense, dialogue-driven performance was widely praised as some of her finest dramatic work.

Beyond acting, Sydney is known for an unusual hobby she’s been passionate about since she was a teenager, even earning a competition-level certification. What is it?

AProfessional-level baking BCompetitive horseback riding CSurfing competitions DMMA-trained fighter / restoring vintage cars

✓ Correct! Sydney is famously a trained MMA fighter and a gearhead who restores classic cars. She’s been passionate about mixed martial arts since high school and has also shared her love of working on vintage automobiles — hobbies that surprised fans who only knew her from her on-screen roles.

✗ Not quite! The answer is MMA training and restoring vintage cars. Sydney trained in MMA as a teenager and still practices. She’s also a self-taught mechanic who restores classic cars in her spare time — she’s shared her work on social media, showing there’s much more to her than meets the eye.

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That thriller would be Sharp Objects, which aired eight episodes on HBO and is available on HBO Max around the world. Currently, Sharp Objects stands at a sky-high 92% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 293 reviews. It was also successful with viewers, holding a high 83% audience score. Somehow, Sharp Objects has managed to get even better with time.

Sharp Objects' Young Stars Have Made Rewatching The HBO Series An Even Better Experience

Perhaps the main reason why watching Sharp Objects in 2026 has become more exciting is due to the HBO psychological thriller series' young stars. When it was released on HBO, the show already had consolidated names like Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, Henry Czerny, and more. However, there were quite a few actresses full of potential in Sharp Objects' cast, and they have since gone on to have successful careers with exciting projects. Chief among them is Sydney Sweeney, who played Alice, Camille's roommate at the psychiatric hospital. Sweeney had not yet had her big break when she was on Sharp Objects.

Since the show's release, Sweeney has become one of Hollywood's biggest rising stars, starring in projects like Euphoria, Anyone but You, and The Housemaid. Sophia Lillis is another of Sharp Objects' actresses to make it big. While she had already appeared in the Stephen King adaptation It, Lillis went on to be part of a major fantasy universe in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, work with director Wes Anderson in Asteroid City, and show her range in Peacock's record-breaking psychological thriller series All Her Fault.

Finally, Eliza Scanlen, who had the biggest role among the trio in Sharp Objects, as she gave life to Amma Crellin, the younger sister of Adams' Camille, starred in one of the best movies of all time, the masterpiece that was Greta Gerwig's Little Women. Knowing just how far these talented actresses have gone, it is a lot of fun to go back and rewatch HBO's Sharp Objects to see how their acting styles have changed and/or evolved.

HBO's Sharp Objects Continues To Be A Beacon to Other Psychological Thriller Series

It is true that HBO continues to put out quality shows, as can be seen by DC's new Green Lantern series, which is superheroes meet True Detective, aka Lanterns. That said, too many shows shy away from getting as raw and dark as Sharp Objects, which is why it remains so special all these years later. After all, Sharp Objects has one of the genre's most haunting twists ever.

Most psychological thriller series go as far as Sharp Objects does to create a false sense of safety at the very end, only to change that with the most shocking reveal one can think of. As such, with an inherently complex and twisted story, powerful dramatic performances, moody cinematography, and more, HBO's Sharp Objects has truly aged like fine wine.