It’s been a few years since Hulu pulled the plug on the High Fidelity TV series, and honestly, it still stings. People were skeptical. Of course they were. You don’t just take a beloved Nick Hornby novel and a cult-classic John Cusack movie and flip the script without some fans sharpening their knives. But then the show dropped. It was cool. It was vibey. Most importantly, the cast of High Fidelity felt like people you actually wanted to hang out with in a dusty Crown Heights record store.
They didn't just replicate the old characters. They breathed new life into them. Zoë Kravitz didn't just play "the lead"; she recontextualized the entire "sad-sack record store owner" trope for a generation that deals with heartbreak through Spotify playlists instead of mixtapes.
Zoë Kravitz as Rob: More Than Just a Legacy Play
Let's address the elephant in the room. Zoë’s mom, Lisa Bonet, was in the original movie. That’s a lot of pressure. But Kravitz’s Rob Brooks is her own beast. She’s messy. She’s occasionally a total jerk to the people who love her. In the 2000 film, Cusack’s Rob was a bit of a neurotic obsessive, but Kravitz brings this aloof, armor-plated vulnerability that feels incredibly specific to modern Brooklyn.
She spends half the time talking to the camera, breaking the fourth wall. It should be annoying. It isn't. She makes you feel like an accomplice in her bad decisions. Whether she’s chasing down an ex or obsessing over why a relationship ended, she nails that "main character syndrome" we all fall into when our hearts get stepped on.
The Top Five Heartbreaks
The show centers on Rob’s "Top Five Most Memorable Heartbreaks." Through these flashbacks, we see the cast of High Fidelity expand into a mosaic of dating disasters. There’s Mac (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir), the one who got away to London. Then there’s Kat Monroe (Ivanna Sakhno), the influencer who represents everything Rob hates but secretly envies. Every guest star feels like a real person you’ve met at a bar at 2:00 AM.
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Da'Vine Joy Randolph and David H. Holmes: The Heart of Championship Vinyl
The record store isn't a store; it’s a sanctuary. Or a prison, depending on the day. Cherise and Simon are the wings that keep Rob’s ego from crashing.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Cherise is a revelation. She is loud, opinionated, and fiercely talented. In the movie, Jack Black’s Barry was the chaotic energy. Randolph takes that energy and makes it soulful. She’s not just the "funny friend." She’s a woman with massive musical ambitions who is terrified of actually trying. When she finally gets her hands on a guitar, it’s one of the most earned moments in the series.
Then you have David H. Holmes as Simon. He’s the "nicest" of the trio, but the show doesn't leave him as a two-dimensional sidekick. We get an entire episode dedicated to his own "Top Five" heartbreaks, which explores his life as a gay man navigating the Brooklyn dating scene. It’s one of the best episodes of the season. It proves this cast of High Fidelity wasn't just a vehicle for Zoë Kravitz—it was a true ensemble.
The Supporting Players You Might Have Forgotten
A show about music needs a certain kind of texture. You can't just have famous faces; you need people who look like they actually know who Captain Beefheart is.
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- Kingsley Ben-Adir (Mac): He has this effortless "cool guy" energy that makes you understand why Rob can't let him go. His chemistry with Kravitz is electric and frustrating.
- Jake Lacy (Clyde): Poor Clyde. He’s the "nice guy" from the Midwest who likes Phish. In any other show, he’d be the hero. In Rob’s world, he’s a "normie." Lacy plays the earnestness perfectly without making the character a total pushover.
- Thomas Doherty (Liam): The young, TikTok-era rockstar who represents the generational gap in music appreciation. He’s the "new" sound that Rob desperately tries to understand (and fails).
Why the Chemistry Mattered More Than the Script
Honestly, the dialogue was sharp, but the chemistry is what sold it. When you watch the trio sit behind the counter at Championship Vinyl, it doesn't feel like actors waiting for their cues. It feels like friends who have spent way too much time together in a space that smells like old cardboard and static.
They argue about whether Paul McCartney’s solo career is "essential" or "trash." They judge customers for buying "off-the-shelf" pop hits. This dynamic is what made the original book work, and this cast of High Fidelity captured that gatekeeping-but-loving-it spirit perfectly. It’s a specific kind of friendship born out of shared snobbery.
The Missing Season Two
We have to talk about the cancellation. It was a gut punch. There were rumors that season two would have focused more on Cherise’s journey. Seeing Da'Vine Joy Randolph take the lead would have been a massive shift for the franchise. The cast of High Fidelity was just getting started. We never got to see if Rob could actually sustain a healthy relationship or if she was doomed to keep making lists forever.
How to Watch and What to Listen For
If you haven't seen it, it’s still on Hulu (for now). The soundtrack is a character in itself. From Ann Peebles to David Bowie, the music supervisor, Manish Raval, worked closely with the actors to make sure the tracks felt organic to the scenes.
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If you’re a fan of the 2000 film, watch it with an open mind. Don't look for John Cusack. Look for the way this group of people navigates loneliness in a city that’s constantly changing.
Practical Steps for High Fidelity Fans:
- Listen to the Official Soundtrack: It’s available on Spotify and Apple Music. It’s a masterclass in genre-blending, featuring everything from Dexys Midnight Runners to swampy blues.
- Read the Original Nick Hornby Novel: If you’ve only seen the TV show or movie, the book offers a much more cynical, British perspective that adds a lot of depth to Rob’s character.
- Support the Cast’s Other Work: Da’Vine Joy Randolph went on to win an Oscar for The Holdovers. Zoë Kravitz is a powerhouse in The Batman and Big Little Lies. Their talent was evident here long before the awards started rolling in.
- Visit Real Record Stores: If you’re in New York, the vibe of Championship Vinyl is modeled after spots like Rough Trade or Academy Records. There’s nothing like digging through crates to understand why these characters are so obsessed.
The show might be over, but the way this cast redefined these roles stays with you. It was a short-lived masterpiece that deserved more time on the turntable.