--- title: "Disclaimer: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/disclaimer/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/disclaimer" critics_score: 52 critics_reviews: 13 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): what the critics said Critics' score 52 from 13 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 6 negative. 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. ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Rating A-. 30 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-series-1235041370/) ## The AV Club — Brian Tallerico Rating A-. 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/disclaimer-premiere-recap) ## Evening Standard — Madeleine Spencer Rating 4/5. 10 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/disclaimer-apple-tv-review-cate-blanchett-alfonso-cuaron-b1186644.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-kevin-kline-alfonso-cuaron-apple-tv-1235987459/) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/alfonso-cuaron-thriller-disclaimer-good-thinks-3316109) ## Variety — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2024/tv/tv-reviews/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-apple-1236174967/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/11/disclaimer-review-cate-blanchett-kevin-kline-alfonso-cuaron-apple-tv-drama) ## Vulture — Nicholas Quah Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/disclaimer-review-alfonso-cuaron-cate-blanchett-apple-series.html) ## Collider — Emily Bernard Rating 8/10. 9 October 2024. 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 the review](https://collider.com/disclaimer-tv-show-review/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 4/5. 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/disclaimer-review-revenge-is-bitter-sweet-in-alfonso-cuarons-slick-thriller/) ## Paste — Elijah Gonzalez Rating 7.0. 11 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/apple-tv-plus/disclaimer-review-alfonso-cuaron-apple-tv) ## Consequence — Liz Shannon Miller Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://consequence.net/2024/08/disclaimer-review-apple-tv-plus/) ## The Ringer — Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2024. 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 the review](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) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/disclaimer.md