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The Great (2020)

2020 · Biography,Comedy,Drama · historical-period, political-satire

The Great poster

The Great is a gleefully anachronistic, foul-mouthed, and razor-sharp satirical comedy set in the court of 18th-century Russia, following Catherine's scheming rise to power alongside her infuriating, buffoonish husband Peter III. The show wears its historical inaccuracy as a badge of honor — opening credits disclaim it — and uses the period setting as a funhouse mirror for contemporary ideas about power, feminism, and idealism. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult anchor an ensemble that reviewers describe as uniformly excellent, with Hoult's character arc from villain to fan favorite cited as a particular triumph. Lavish production values, a propulsive wit-dense script, and a tone that swings between farce and genuine darkness make it a prestige comedy that rewards binging.

From the reviewers

Nicholas Hoult is the best part of this show. Every time he talks he made me laugh. He also has the best character arc on the show. You go from not liking his character to rooting for him.
He deftly walks a tightrope between loathsome and lovable, I've never seen anything like it. The entire cast is exceptional but Tony McNamara's dialogue is the true star.
This fabulous lush historical satire has far and away the sharpest dialogue of any show I can remember seeing on any platform. It is delivered mostly rapid-fire as in the screwball comedy films of the 1930s.
It's a comedy. If you want to laugh then go watch this.
The way how they play and remastering the history is genius! As being Russian, I find this show absurdly brilliant and funny. That's interesting to follow how the show is portraying current narratives with well known facts from 18 century, as it all together creates absolutely masterpiece satire Universe!

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