Based on the 2015 novel by Renée Knight, Disclaimer could have been a conventional two-hour film. But Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Roma, Children of Men) wisely took advantage of longform, writing, directing, and executive producing a seven-episode Apple TV+ series.
Journalist/documentarian Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett) has an idyllic life. She’s in a loving marriage with her doting husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen), is admired by co-workers like Kim (Hoyeon), and, when she’s introduced to us, she’s just won an award. However, it’s not all perfect. Her 25-year-old son, Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee), still acts like an angry teenager who can’t stand his mom. Catherine’s reputation and integrity are integral to her successful career and overall identity. Suffice it to say, that she has a lot at stake.
A mysterious package arrives containing a novel written by an unknown author with the ominous disclaimer: “Any resemblance to persons living or dead is not a coincidence.” While she anxiously reads its pages, she starts to recognize the main character as her younger self (played in flashbacks by Leila George).
Catherine’s crime (or perceived crime) isn’t explicitly said at first. We’re given enough details to make assumptions, and, going by her visceral reaction to reading the book, it’s clear that it’s true. She’s forced to relive this troubling time in her life, something that she’s worked hard to keep secret for decades. But now someone else knows about what happened and intends to cause Catherine a world of pain because unlike her, this person has nothing left to lose.
When we meet widower and former professor Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline) he’s still suffering an overwhelming loss. Before his wife Nancy (Lesley Manville) passed away, the couple’s only son, Jonathan (Louis Partridge), died in an accident. Devastated and withdrawn, Nancy spent the last years of her life in mourning.
Stephen has visibly let himself go but his discovery of a hidden manuscript leads him to the conclusion that Catherine was somehow responsible for Jonathan’s death, giving him a renewed energy and purpose. He pours his years of pent-up grief and anger into systematically ruining her life. He succeeds in isolating and humiliating her, making her feel judged, shunned, and punished.
As the series plays out, we follow two timelines — the past and present. With each episode, we get bits and pieces of the lurid story, mostly told in dreamy flashbacks of Jonathan and Catherine in Italy. Jumping between stories and points in time can get a little confusing in the first episode because we don’t quite understand whose memories we’re watching. But it only adds to the immersive experience of watching these fragmented, disorienting events unfold.
Disclaimer is a departure from Alfonso Cuarón’s usual projects. While the story doesn’t have Gravity or Children of Men-level stakes, he makes it feel just as chaotic. Catherine has metaphorical bombs going off around her, sending her on a personal investigation to find the author, all while she continues trying to protect her family and reputation.
So far, I’ve only read the beginning of Knight’s novel. But Cuarón beautifully captures the voices of the characters and finds interesting ways to tell their stories from different perspectives, illustrating just how differently people interpret the same thing.
Besides the omnipresent Narrator (Indira Varma), Catherine narrates her life in the second person as if she’s talking to herself about herself. Stephen’s inner monologue is from a first-person point-of-view, putting us inside his head as he reminisces about the past, before his life was destroyed, and in the now, as he justifies his morally questionable actions in the name of love and revenge.
Cuarón is renowned for his distinct visual style and camera work. From wide shots of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea to intimate close-ups of characters as they’re spiraling, the series’ cinematography by his longtime collaborator Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity), as well as Bruno Delbonnel (The Tragedy of Macbeth), is stunning, especially in Italy, where soft-focus and naturally lit scenes iris in and out like we’re watching a romanticized version of events. The voyeuristic camera angles and shaky handheld shots during the more frenzied moments make it feel like a documentary. And the beautifully shot sex scenes evoke some steamy Y Tu Mamá También vibes.
Without major spoilers, I can’t get into all the reasons I loved this series. Along with the gorgeous visuals and compelling narrative, the brilliantly assembled cast delivered powerful performances. Louis Partridge is charming as an eager young adult seeking adventure but finds something unexpected with a seductive Leila George. The always amazing Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline play their complicated adversaries to perfection. Sacha Baron Cohen and Lesley Manville put so much emotion into their heartbroken characters that you should expect to shed a tear or two.
Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer is a beautifully crafted, visually striking psychological thriller about the power of storytelling and how forming narratives can be used to manipulate the truth. The seven-part series grips you instantly, immersing you in the interconnected lives of emotionally complex characters and never letting go.
Disclaimer has its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The series hits Apple TV+ with its first two episodes on October 11, followed by new episodes every Friday through November 15, 2024.
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