Disclaimer is a psychological drama TV series based on Renée Knight's 2015 novel of the same name. Written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the show stars Cate Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, who is confronted with her dark past. She is joined by Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Louis Partridge, and Lesley Manville in important roles.
Catherine Ravenscroft is a celebrated journalist in Disclaimer. When she receives a mysterious book, it reveals the secrets of a past life she has left buried for many years. This time, the reporter will do anything to keep the truth from being revealed.
Disclaimer premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and later, on Apple TV+ on October 11, 2024, with the first two episodes. Five episodes have been released so far with two more to be released in November.
What happens to Catherine Ravenscroft in Disclaimer?
The miniseries begins with Catherine Ravenscroft opening a parcel. Inside is a book called "The Perfect Stranger". The couple, Catherine and her husband Robert watch as flames engulf the book; then Catherine turns to Robert and says she thinks the book is about her. Flashbacks then show that the book was sent by a retired schoolteacher, Stephen Brigstocke, whose wife Nancy and son Jonathan are now dead.
He then discovers a manuscript of the book among Nancy's things and photographs taken by Jonathan on a trip to Italy 20 years ago. Among these intimate shots are pictures of a young Catherine. He then publishes the book and sends it to Catherine as revenge for Jonathan's death, which he blames on her.
To understand what happened, we need to go back 20 years when Jonathan arrives in Italy with his girlfriend Sasha, who quickly leaves when she learns that her aunt has died. Alone, Jonathan spends time on a beach where he first sees Catherine and secretly takes photographs of her.
In 2001, Jonathan meets Catherine and helps her move Nicholas and her things back to her hotel. Catherine invites Jonathan to join her for a drink. Catherine begins to flirt aggressively with him, and they sleep together. A few days later, Stephen and Nancy are told by the police that Jonathan has accidentally drowned himself in the sea.
Jonathan tells Catherine he loves her, but she tells him they cannot be together. Meanwhile, Nicholas enters the sea in a rubber dinghy and Jonathan rushes in to save him. Although Catherine sees Jonathan struggling in the distance, she fails to raise the alarm, and by the time the lifeguards arrive, he has already drowned.
An overview of the Apple TV+ show Disclaimer
Disclaimer is Cuarón's first foray into miniseries, based on Renée Knight's 2015 novel. The show cuts back and forth between the two timelines of the deceased, each time with iris shots. Catherine's life is a picture of affluence at the beginning of the show.
Brigstocke, on the other hand, lives alone and wears his late wife's moth-eaten pink cardigan. Retired now, he hatches a plot of revenge. Kline, plays the character of Brigstocke with a mischievous air of pure spite.
Disclaimer is a story within a story. One day, a book entitled "The Perfect Stranger", written pseudonymously by Brigstocke arrives on Catherine's doorstep. It bears the chilling disclaimer of the title: "Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is not accidental." Catherine quickly realizes that the book is about her and a long-held secret she thought no one else knew.
Blanchett plays the victim well in these episodes, a far cry from the confident, scandalous flashbacks of her younger self. Still, she has yet to show her full range as an actress, so there are other sides to Catherine that the audience has yet to see.
With seven episodes clocking in at five hours and 43 minutes, one expects a lot of twists and turns and hopes that the show does not get carried away, as so many of these psychological thrillers tend to.
Everything to know about Catherine Élise Blanchett
Catherine Élise Blanchett is an Australian actress and film producer who has excelled in film, theatre, and independent film.
Blanchett began her career as a theatre actress in Australia. Her first film role was in Elizabeth (1998), where she played the role of Queen Elizabeth I. Some of her notable films include The Lord of the Rings, The Aviator, Indiana Jones The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and more.
Blanchett has received several awards: two Oscars, four BAFTAs, and four Golden Globes. Her nominations include two Emmys and a Tony Award. In 2007, Time Magazine named her one of the 100 people in the world who are changing lives for the better. In 2018, Forbes declared her to be on the list of the highest-paid actors in the world.
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The show Disclaimer is available to stream on Apple TV+.
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