---
title: "Disclaimer"
year: 2024
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/disclaimer"
fi1m_id: "disclaimer"
imdb_id: "tt16294384"
tmdb_id: 147050
wikidata_id: "Q112241985"
fi1m_score: 56
critics_score: 52
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-10-01T00:03:00.384508+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T00:03:01.142576+00:00"
region: "LT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Disclaimer (2024)

Created by Alfonso Cuarón · LT S · Drama, Mystery

## Identity

Disclaimer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/disclaimer
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** disclaimer
- **IMDb ID:** tt16294384
- **TMDB ID:** 147050
- **Wikidata ID:** Q112241985
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16294384/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/147050, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112241985

**Fi1m score: 56** · Critics 52 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two cinematographers, seven hours and a narrator who will not let you reach a single conclusion on your own

> Alfonso Cuarón’s seven-part adaptation of Renée Knight’s novel is as handsome as anything on television and about half as clever as it thinks. Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline are worth watching; the narrator telling us what to make of them is not.

## Synopsis

Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett) is a London documentary maker with a husband, Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen), and a son, Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who lives at home and barely speaks to her. A novel arrives in the post with no note. Its disclaimer, the line about resemblance to real people being coincidental, has been struck through, and the story inside appears to be hers: a summer on an Italian beach years ago, an affair, and a young man who drowned. The sender is Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline), a retired teacher whose late wife Nancy (Lesley Manville) wrote the book and whose son Jonathan (Louis Partridge) was the young man. Stephen has read it, found the photographs, and decided what Catherine owes him. Leila George plays the Catherine of that summer.

## Review

Alfonso Cuarón writes and directs *Disclaimer*, seven episodes from Renée Knight’s novel, and what it is trying to do is plain. Take a woman who has made a career out of deciding what other people’s stories mean. Hand her a story about herself, written by someone else. Then see whether anyone, including the people at home, will let her tell her own version. That is a good idea for a thriller and a tight two-hour film. Cuarón has given it seven hours, and the length is the first thing wrong with it.

There are three strands, and the series looks different in each. Bruno Delbonnel and Emmanuel Lubezki share the camera credit, and between them the London of Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett) is rain, glass and grey wool, while the Italian beach where young Catherine (Leila George) spent a summer is shot so bright that skin and sand come out the same colour. Neil Lamont gives the Ravenscrofts a house that is mostly window and Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline) a terrace that has not been dusted since his wife died. Jany Temime puts Blanchett in cream and camel and keeps Kline in the same cardigan for most of the run. It looks expensive because it is, and it looks like the work of people who cared.

Kline is the reason to keep going. His Stephen is a retired teacher who has found, late in life, that grief gives him permission to be vile, and he enjoys it; he makes a trip to the shops look like a threat. Blanchett has the harder job. The part asks Catherine to be unreadable for six of the seven hours, and Blanchett does unreadable as well as anyone working, but a series that hides its lead from us for that long is asking for a great deal of patience. Sacha Baron Cohen is quietly good as her husband Robert, a weak man who mistakes his weakness for fairness, and Kodi Smit-McPhee is handed a sulk rather than a son to play.

Lesley Manville got at us. She has perhaps a dozen scenes as Nancy Brigstocke, the mother who wrote the book, and in one of them she simply sits down to write, turning what she cannot say out loud into pages, and it moved us more than anything else in the seven hours. She does it without raising her voice and mostly without dialogue. The series is at its best when she is on screen, and she is barely on screen.

Then there is the narrator. Indira Varma’s voice addresses Catherine as “you” and everyone else in the third person, and it is on almost constantly, telling us what a face means a second or two after the face has told us. By episode three we were bored, and by episode four we were cross about being bored, because the pictures were doing the job and the voice kept doing it again. Adam Gough cuts between the three strands cleanly enough that we never once lost our place; the voiceover behaves as if we might. Finneas O’Connell’s score, mostly piano and low strings, presses the same points a third time.

The whole thing rests on the gap between what the novel inside the series says happened and what happened, and the later episodes take a turn we will not describe. What we can say is that the turn depends on us having believed the book, and that the series spends six hours giving us no reason not to, so when the correction arrives the earlier hours look less like a mystery than a delay. Cuarón’s films, [*Children of Men*](https://film.one/film/children-of-men), [*Gravity*](https://film.one/film/gravity), [*Roma*](https://film.one/film/roma), held a shot until it earned its meaning. Here the shots are as good as ever and he does not trust them.

Most critics have split straight down the middle on this, and we can see both halves. Watch the first two episodes for Kline and Manville and for the beach, which earns the 18 certificate on its own. Varma’s voice had not sent us to bed by then, and it did not later, but we found the remaining five hours a handsome, slow, well-acted wait for a piece of information.

*Fi1m score 56, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split almost evenly, six in favour and six against, with one sitting between. What nearly everyone agrees on is how it looks: Cuarón’s cinematography, the sepia-tinted Italian scenes and the editing across timelines are praised by admirers and detractors alike. Kevin Kline is the most consistently praised performer, with Cate Blanchett close behind, and Collider singles out Leila George as the younger Catherine.

The disagreement is over whether the story deserves the style. IndieWire, The AV Club and Den of Geek find the shifting perspectives compelling and smart. The Guardian calls it slow and turgid and Vulture calls it pretentious and airless, while The i Paper and Variety fault predictable twists, an intrusive voiceover and a mishandled central reveal. The spread is wide, from top grades to outright dismissal, and The Ringer’s complaint that it resembles prestige television from five years ago sums up what the sceptics think.

## Straight answers

**Is Disclaimer worth watching?**

*Disclaimer* is worth watching only for Kevin Kline and Lesley Manville, and we scored it 56. Alfonso Cuarón's seven-part series is as handsome as anything on television, but a narrator keeps explaining faces that have already explained themselves, and the mystery turns out to be a long wait for one piece of information.

**How long is Disclaimer, and what is it rated?**

*Disclaimer* is rated S by the LT in Lithuania. It is a drama and mystery series.

**Where can I watch Disclaimer in Lithuania?**

*Disclaimer* is streaming on Apple TV in Lithuania. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Disclaimer, and is it suitable for children?**

*Disclaimer* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and is not for children or younger teenagers. The Italian beach scenes alone earn the rating, and the series is adult in subject throughout, dealing with an affair, a drowning and a grieving father's campaign against the woman he blames. It is not frightening in a horror sense.

**How does Disclaimer compare to Caché?**

*Disclaimer* and [*Caché*](https://film.one/film/cache) both begin with an anonymous parcel and a buried secret, but Haneke's film never once tells you what it means, while Cuarón's series has a narrator telling you constantly. *Caché* is the tighter and more unsettling of the two; *Disclaimer* has the better cast and seven times the running length to fill.

**Is Disclaimer based on a true story or a book?**

*Disclaimer* is based on Renée Knight's novel of the same name, not on a true story. Cuarón's series keeps the book's device of a novel arriving in the post with its disclaimer struck through, and you need not have read Knight to follow it; the series explains itself more than enough.

**What should I watch after Disclaimer?**

After *Disclaimer*, try [*Caché*](https://film.one/film/cache) (2005, Fi1m 88): Anonymous videotapes arrive at a Paris door; Haneke never once tells you what they mean. Then [*The Hunt*](https://film.one/film/the-hunt) (2012, Fi1m 82): A Danish village decides what a man did, and the deciding is the horror; and [*Atonement*](https://film.one/film/atonement) (2007, Fi1m 83): A girl’s version of one afternoon ruins three lives; fiction as a weapon, done in two hours.

### Reviews we read (13)

- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (A-): Travers calls the series a cunning, all-consuming psychological thriller whose provocative ideas remain tightly connected to its entertainment value. He particularly praises Cuarón’s balancing of three perspectives and the visual storytelling that makes the shifting narratives compelling. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-series-1235041370/)
- **The AV Club**, Brian Tallerico (A-): Tallerico praises the premiere as a nuanced, riveting adaptation that lives up to its prestigious production. He especially singles out its seamless editing across timelines and its striking cinematography and visual design. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/disclaimer-premiere-recap)
- **Evening Standard**, Madeleine Spencer (4/5): Spencer finds the series stylish, slick, sexy and compelling, despite a narrative that jumps around and lacks a clear thread early on. She singles out Cuarón’s visually stunning cinematography, especially the sepia-tinted Italian scenes, for praise. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/disclaimer-apple-tv-review-cate-blanchett-alfonso-cuaron-b1186644.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (55/100, inferred): Fienberg finds the series dazzling in the moment but somewhat silly and thin on reflection. He praises the performances, especially Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, while criticizing the story for feeling perfunctory. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-kevin-kline-alfonso-cuaron-apple-tv-1235987459/)
- **The i Paper**, Francesca Steele (25/100, inferred): Steele finds the series an enjoyable but forgettable thriller that mistakes itself for something more profound. She praises Kevin Kline’s ferocious performance, while faulting the predictable twists and intrusive voiceover. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/alfonso-cuaron-thriller-disclaimer-good-thinks-3316109)
- **Variety**, Alison Herman (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a failed feminist thriller, undone by its drawn-out pacing and ineffective handling of its central reveal. She praises Cuarón’s striking imagery but says it cannot make the story work. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/tv/tv-reviews/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-apple-1236174967/)
- **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (15/100, inferred): Mangan finds the series slow, turgid and burdened by an abominable script. She praises its beautiful cinematography and singles out Lesley Manville’s scenes for their emotional force. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/11/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-kevin-kline-alfonso-cuaron-apple-tv-drama)
- **Vulture**, Nicholas Quah (10/100, inferred): Quah finds the series a pretentious, airless slog that never makes its themes or characters compelling. He praises the striking cinematography and the performances by Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, while finding their work incongruous with the production. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/disclaimer-review-alfonso-cuaron-cate-blanchett-apple-series.html)
- **Collider**, Emily Bernard (8/10): Bernard finds the series riveting and emotionally troubling, with its twists and character work outweighing some convenient plot points. She especially praises Leila George’s performance as the younger Catherine. [Read](https://collider.com/disclaimer-tv-show-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (4/5): Fletcher finds the series highly compelling, smart, and worth watching despite occasional implausibility. She especially praises Kevin Kline’s cantankerous performance and the show’s deft play with assumptions about age, class, and gender. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/disclaimer-review-revenge-is-bitter-sweet-in-alfonso-cuarons-slick-thriller/)
- **Paste**, Elijah Gonzalez (7.0): The review finds the series messy and repetitive but ultimately compelling in its exploration of how fiction shapes perceptions of truth. It praises Cuarón’s visually sharp direction and especially Kevin Kline’s performance. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/apple-tv-plus/disclaimer-review-alfonso-cuaron-apple-tv)
- **Consequence**, Liz Shannon Miller (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the series’ narrative too familiar and its ending unsatisfying, despite its elevated production. Cuarón’s visual craft and the committed performances are singled out for praise. [Read](https://consequence.net/2024/08/disclaimer-review-apple-tv-plus/)
- **The Ringer**, Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald (35/100, inferred): The hosts suggest that Disclaimer feels dated compared with newer prestige television. The headline singles out its resemblance to prestige TV from five years earlier as the central criticism. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/the-watch/2024/10/14/disclaimer-feels-like-the-prestige-tv-of-five-years-ago-plus-timothy-simons-on-nobody-wants-this)

## Details

- **Created by:** Alfonso Cuarón
- **Creator:** Alfonso Cuarón
- **Director:** Alfonso Cuarón
- **Writer:** Alfonso Cuarón
- **Novel:** Renée Knight
- **Cinematography:** Bruno Delbonnel, Emmanuel Lubezki
- **Editor:** Adam Gough
- **Music:** Finneas O'Connell
- **Production design:** Neil Lamont
- **Costume design:** Jany Temime
- **Cast:** Cate Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft; Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke; Sacha Baron Cohen as Robert Ravenscroft; Lesley Manville as Nancy Brigstocke; Louis Partridge as Jonathan Brigstocke; Leila George as Young Catherine; Indira Varma as Narrator (voice); Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nicholas Ravenscroft
- **Certificate (LT):** S
- **Release (Lithuania):** 11 October 2024
- **Genres:** Drama, Mystery
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so6XoqZgbVM

## Where to watch in Lithuania

- Apple TV: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-30.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Caché* (2005), Fi1m 88: Anonymous videotapes arrive at a Paris door; Haneke never once tells you what they mean — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cache.md)
- *Notes on a Scandal* (2006): Blanchett again, a secret again, and a narrator whose account you should not trust
- *The Hunt* (2012), Fi1m 82: A Danish village decides what a man did, and the deciding is the horror — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-hunt.md)
- *Atonement* (2007), Fi1m 83: A girl’s version of one afternoon ruins three lives; fiction as a weapon, done in two hours — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/atonement.md)
- *The Undoing* (2020), Fi1m 61: Rich people, a death, six episodes and a lead who may not be telling us everything — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/the-undoing.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/disclaimer