Disclaimer (stylized as Disclaimer*) is a 2024 psychological erotic thriller miniseries created, written, edited, and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Renée Knight. It stars Cate Blanchett and Leila George as documentarian Catherine Ravenscroft, and Kevin Kline as an elderly widower who forces Ravenscroft to confront her past. The supporting cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Louis Partridge and Lesley Manville, with Indira Varma as narrator.
Disclaimer made its debut at the 81st Venice International Film Festival before premiering on Apple TV+ on October 11, 2024, with its first two episodes. It received generally positive reviews from critics. Both Kline and Blanchett garnered nominations at the Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice, and Satellite Awards; Blanchett would later receive an Emmy nomination.
Premise Catherine Ravenscroft, a prominent British documentary-journalist, discovers she is a prominent character in a novel that purports to reveal a secret she has tried to keep hidden.
Style The story is revealed in a non-linear fashion with scenes alternating between a holiday in Italy (young Catherine’s encounter with Jonathan) and back home in London twenty years later (the truth emerges). The series also uses the technique of unreliable narrator in that the events in Italy are told twice: first from Nancy's speculative point of view and later from Catherine's first person experience.
Cast Main Cate Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, an Australian award-winning journalist and documentarian. Leila George as a younger version of Catherine Ravenscroft, during a holiday in Italy with her family twenty years prior. Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke, a retired private school teacher who harbors a grudge against Catherine. Sacha Baron Cohen as Robert Ravenscroft, Catherine's English husband who runs a corrupt non-profit company. Adam El Hagar as young Robert Lesley Manville as Nancy Brigstocke, Stephen's late wife. Louis Partridge as Jonathan Brigstocke, Stephen and Nancy's late son who met Catherine in Italy twenty years prior. Indira Varma as Narrator Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nicholas Ravenscroft, Catherine and Robert's aimless, drug-addled son. Twins Bertie and George Haarer as child Nicholas
Guest Art Malik as Justin, Stephen's publisher and former colleague Liv Hill as Sasha, Jonathan's girlfriend Christiane Amanpour as herself HoYeon Jung as Jisoo Kim, Catherine's South Korean assistant Michael Spicer as Simon, Catherine's colleague Gemma Jones as Helen, Catherine's mother who has dementia Youssef Kerkour as DI Richard Perkins, who sent to Italy to help Stephen and Nancy after Jonathan's death
Episodes
Production In December 2021, it was announced that Alfonso Cuarón was writing and directing a series for Apple TV+, with Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline starring and Emmanuel Lubezki and Bruno Delbonnel serving as cinematographers. In February 2022, Kodi Smit-McPhee joined the cast while Sacha Baron Cohen entered negotiations for a role. Cohen was confirmed the following month, with HoYeon Jung also added to the cast. Louis Partridge joined the cast in May, and Lesley Manville joined the next month. Leila George was added to the cast in October.
Filming for the series had begun by June 2022 in Archway, London; Tuscany, Venice, and finished production in February 2023.
Release Disclaimer was screened at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 29, 2024, the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9 (in the Primetime program), and the 2024 BFI London Film Festival on October 10 as a special event. It premiered on October 11, 2024, on Apple TV+, with the first two episodes available immediately and then two on October 18, 2024, then one a week, until November 8, 2024.
Reception Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 76% with an average rating of 7.4/10, based on 99 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "An intelligent offering from a dream team of talent that also dishes some plain pulpy pleasures, Disclaimer is a dense and rewarding psychological puzzle." Metacritic calculated a weighted average of 70 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Accolades Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result British Society of Cinematographers Awards Best Cinematography in a Television Drama (International/Streaming) Emmanuel Lubezki and Bruno Delbonnel Hollywood Music in Media Awards Original Score – TV Show/Limited Series Finneas O'Connell Soundtrack Album Disclaimer American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Limited Series Adam Gough Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Movie/Miniseries Disclaimer Best Actor in a Movie/ Miniseries Kevin Kline Best Actress in a Movie/ Miniseries Cate Blanchett Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Leila George Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film Alfonso Cuarón Golden Globes Awards Best Miniseries or TV Film Disclaimer Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Kevin Kline Best Actress – Miniseries or TV Film Cate Blanchett Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Emmanuel Lubezki and Bruno Delbonnel Satellite Awards Best Actress – Miniseries or TV Film Cate Blanchett Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Kevin Kline Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Cate Blanchett Seoul International Drama Awards Best Actress Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards Outstanding Original Score for a Television Production Finneas O'Connell Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials Disclaimer
References
External links