--- title: "Irma Vep: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/irma-vep-2022/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/irma-vep-2022" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 14 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." --- # Irma Vep (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 14 reviews: 12 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics take to Irma Vep, and the praise gathers in two places. The first is Alicia Vikander, whose performance as Mira is described repeatedly as mesmerising and quietly brittle, and as anchoring a series that could easily have been too pleased with itself. The second is Olivier Assayas’s direction and writing, which the reviews find sharp, witty and more accessible than an eight-part meta remake of his own 1996 film has any right to be. The ensemble is admired too, with Lars Eidinger’s scene-stealing turn singled out more than once. The reservations are about pace and self-regard: several reviews note a slow start and a good deal of industry navel-gazing before the series settles. The spread is wide, from top marks to the low forties. The two dissenters part company: Vulture argues Vikander lacks the presence Maggie Cheung brought to the original, while /Film finds it muddled and thinks it would have worked better at feature length. ## The AV Club — David Cote Rating A. 2 June 2022. The critic finds the series ridiculously meta and enjoyable, praising its stylish, addictive quality, graceful camerawork, and witty dialogue as a behind-the-scenes comedy. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/irma-vep-tv-review-hbo-olivier-assayas-alicia-vikander-1849004984) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2022. The review describes the series as a sharp and witty take on modern cinema that is coolly captivating once its rhythms are tuned into. It singles out Alicia Vikander’s mesmerising performance and Assayas’s dazzling direction. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/irma-vep-review-alicia-vikander-dazzles-achingly-chic-french/) ## The Guardian — Emine Saner Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2022. The critic finds the eight-part series fun and spiky in its extreme meta approach to the film industry. She singles out the strong ensemble cast, particularly the scene-stealing performance by Lars Eidinger. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/02/irma-vep-review-alicia-vikander-is-pure-evil-but-in-a-sexy-kind-of-way) ## The i Paper — Rachael Sigee Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2022. The critic finds the meta premise surprisingly accessible and enjoyable despite its navel-gazing Hollywood satire. Vikander's performance as Mira stands out as beautifully untethered while the series mocks industry pretension with self-deprecating lightness. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/irma-vep-review-sky-atlantic-now-alicia-vikander-1773158) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2022. The review finds Vikander mesmerising in this intriguing exercise in showbiz navel-gazing that blends workplace comedy with cultural self-reference. It singles out her quiet brittleness as the performance that keeps viewers engaged despite a slow start. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/irma-vep-tv-review-alicia-vikander-b1016011.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2022. Festival review. Vikander delivers a treat in a cleverly meta and intellectually loopy series about remaking Les Vampires. The show mixes broad humor with self-absorption but remains engaging for those invested in Assayas' themes of cinema and storytelling evolution. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/irma-vep-tv-review-1235151952/) ## The Times — James Jackson Rating ★★★★☆. 2 August 2022. The critic calls the series a sophisticated, studied satire that becomes increasingly enjoyable despite its meta premise. He highlights the playful creative vanity-versus-commerce elements as a particular strength. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/irma-vep-review-alicia-vikander-5dztjt5xz) ## Variety — Daniel D'Addario Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2022. The series offers shrewd industry commentary on remakes, superhero franchises and artistic vs. commercial pressures. Vikander anchors it with a clever, resourceful performance that evolves from exhausted rule-follower to liberated rebel. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/irma-vep-hbo-alicia-vikander-1235282723/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2022. The critic sees tantalizing failures in the series, praising its playful intertextuality and supporting elements but complaining that Alicia Vikander lacks the star power and presence of Maggie Cheung in the central role. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2022/07/irma-vep-show-review-alicia-vikander-is-no-maggie-cheung.html) ## Consequence — Clint Worthing Rating A. 6 June 2022. Assayas delivers an intoxicating, self-reflexive remake that mines satire from his own career and the film industry. Vikander gives one of her best performances as the lead navigating art, life, and blockbuster pressures. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2022/06/irma-vep-review-hbo-alicia-vikander/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2022. The critic finds the HBO miniseries a clever and sophisticated expansion of Assayas's original 1996 film, praising its sharp writing, impeccable direction, and insightful take on art versus commerce in contemporary TV. He singles out the longform format for allowing enjoyable digressions into the production process and meta elements while celebrating the possibilities of adaptation. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/06/06/tv/irma-vep-tv-series-olivier-assayas-alicia-vikander) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating B+. 3 June 2022. The series expands on Assayas's 1996 film into a personal, honest exploration of art and the self once it hits its stride in later episodes. It is praised for challenging meta storytelling but criticized for taking too long to get going. [Read the review](https://collider.com/irma-vep-review-olivier-assayas-alicia-vikander-hbo/) ## Paste — Max Covill Rating 8.4. 1 June 2022. Assayas creates a strikingly unique meta-sequel that reimagines his own 1996 film for the television era with a strong ensemble. It excels through delightful interpersonal scenes and character interactions among the eclectic cast. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/irma-vep/irma-vep-review) ## /Film — Barry Levitt Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2022. The miniseries is a muddled expansion that fails to cohere despite strong ideas, writing, and performances from Vikander and the cast. Its critique of Hollywood blockbusters is noted, but the chaos feels grating rather than effective, suggesting it would have worked better as a film like the 1996 original. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/883820/irma-vep-review-olivier-assayas-turns-his-wonderful-1996-film-into-a-muddled-miniseries/) --- © 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/irma-vep-2022.md