James M. Cain’s 1941 novel about a mother’s near-pathological devotion to her selfish daughter was Joan Crawford’s ticket to an Oscar in 1945; now it inspires a five-part, three-week miniseries that will take longer to watch than it does to read the book. But the series becomes engaging over time, its languorous pace enabling director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) to linger over Depression-era details that reflect similar economic struggles today. Kate Winslet’s performance turns the title character into a feminist heroine; her co-stars include Guy Pearce, Melissa Leo, and Evan Rachel Wood. Sundays, March 27–April 10, at 9 p.m., HBO
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Ukraine: Trump's mixed messagesFeature Trump reverses a Pentagon freeze on Patriot missiles to Ukraine as Russia ramps up air attacks
-
Diddy: An abuser who escaped justice?Feature The jury cleared Sean Combs of major charges but found him guilty of lesser offenses
-
Death from above: Drones upend rules of war in UkraineFeature The world's militaries are paying close attention to drone use in the Russia-Ukraine war
