Idol is a 2024 film from studio Dorcel and director Liselle Bailey. Clara Mia stars as Lily Nelson – a Hollywood actress who is on the verge of breakthrough. However, to the annoyance of her agent Kenza (Anissa Kate) she decides to forge her own path by joining the cast of a stage play in London.
Well, they say London, but like many of Liselle Bailey's productions, it was actually filmed in Hastings. A couple of times we see a billboard advertising Lily's new film. This was actually filmed near the railway bridge on Bexhill Road.
Lily stays in a rather drab hotel, and there's quite a sombre sequence in which she plays with the bathroom taps and looks a bit depressed. The exterior shot, by the way, depicts One Priory Square.
Marine (Alice Martin) and Léo (Alex Romero), who live at Princes Villa, are aspiring actors and fans of Lily. They work at the Dragon Bar, where local actors gather. So they are starstruck when Lily shows up there and they get to meet her.
Once again, this film shows off some interesting locations in Hastings. For instance, the exterior of the Shish Turkish restaurant is featured in one shot. It provides inspiration for places to visit when I next visit.
That said, although there was clearly a lot of effort put into this production, I didn't feel it particularly engaging and wasn't particularly drawn to any of the characters.
★★★☆☆ 3/5