Series Title: Disclaimer
Languages: English, Italian
Release Year: 2024, USA and UK
Duration: Seven episodes, approximately 50 minutes each
Writer and Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen
Music: Finneas O'Connell
Editor: Adam Gough
By Kevin Diamond
In Disclaimer, Alfonso Cuarón—Oscar-winning director of Roma—returns with a new, highly anticipated series on Apple TV+. Despite an impressive cast featuring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, the series struggles to recapture the acclaim of Cuarón's previous works. The seven-episode drama unfolds around Catherine (played by Blanchett), a successful documentarian whose life takes a dark turn after she receives a mysterious book that exposes buried secrets from her past.
The story begins with Catherine on a high, having received a prestigious award for her latest work, presented by none other than Christiane Amanpour. Her triumph, however, is short-lived. The arrival of an anonymous book suggests Catherine was embroiled in a scandalous, tragic event twenty years prior on the Italian coast—a revelation that threatens to unravel her marriage to Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and her relationship with their son, Nicholas.
Kevin Kline’s character, Stephen, emerges as a heartbroken father seeking revenge. Decades earlier, Stephen lost his son Jonathan to a drowning accident on those same Italian shores, which also cost him his wife Nancy. When Stephen stumbles upon Nancy’s unpublished writings, he discovers a disturbing narrative: a fictionalized version of Catherine’s past, complete with explicit photographs that Jonathan had taken. Desperate for retribution, Stephen releases Nancy's book, distributing copies—including the photos—to Catherine’s colleagues and family, setting off a psychological battle between past and present.
Where Disclaimer falters is in its attempt at multi-perspective storytelling. Cuarón, known for his nuanced narratives, here asks viewers to question the truth behind each viewpoint, with Amanpour herself advising the audience not to judge too quickly. Yet, the execution is often heavy-handed and at times simplistic, almost as if the project were Cuarón’s debut rather than the work of a seasoned director. The inclusion of erotically charged scenes from a mother’s perspective on her lost son’s relationship is also jarring, pushing the boundaries of believability and potentially alienating the audience.
Even the powerhouse performances from this star-studded cast fail to elevate the series significantly. Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Catherine, fraught with anxiety and haunted by a murky past, feels somewhat one-dimensional, reminiscent of her recent roles like in Tár. Her performance, although competent, struggles to move beyond familiar territory. The show’s few redeeming moments lie in occasional poignant dialogues that reflect on the pitfalls of hasty judgments, emphasizing the idea that perceived truths should always be scrutinized.
In Disclaimer, Cuarón attempts to probe the complexities of memory and perspective. While it does manage to hold the viewer’s attention with a slow-burn suspense that compels them to watch the next episode, the series ultimately falls short of becoming the introspective, haunting drama it set out to be.
