Chivalry review: an explicit but clever satire of Hollywood’s gender politics
Steve Coogan stars as a ‘slimy’ film producer in this #MeToo Channel 4 drama

“It’s a brave comedy that steps up to satirise gender politics in Hollywood in the wake of #MeToo,” said Carol Midgley in The Times. “Thin ice and eggshells are words that leap to mind.” Channel 4’s sitcom Chivalry enters this territory, but it does play it fairly safe.
Steve Coogan stars as Cameron, a “slimy” film producer who has to work with “take-no-shit” director Bobby (Sarah Solemani), after she is parachuted in to “detoxify” one of his films. “She’s the feminist they brought in to put the dinosaur’s dick in the mangle,” one character says of Bobby, which is a “pretty succinct summary of the situation”.
The series, which was written by Coogan and Solemani, has a “wily, low-key humour”, and it is made all the better by the presence of Sienna Miller, who is “fabulous” as the film’s leading lady. Chivalry is “highly engaging”, said Sean O’Grady on The Independent, but be warned: it’s also so graphic that it borders on the pornographic, and the dialogue is a mix of “barrack-room swearing, porn-movie set directions and the sort of intimate technical terms you might encounter during a gynaecological case conference”.
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.
I don’t know whether there are or should be boundaries around what is seen and heard on TV – but “Chivalry has helped me find my own boundaries as a viewer”. This language is “explicit”, said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph, but try not to let that put you off. Solemani and Coogan have achieved “what seemed impossible: a nuanced, intelligent take on #MeToo that doesn’t stint on jokes”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Controversial GOP plan to sell millions of federal acres hits major roadblock
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republican Sen. Mike Lee says he'll revisit legislation to sell millions of acres of federally held land to create 'freedom zones' of single family homes
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
5 high-concept animated science fiction shows for grown-ups
The Week Recommends How filmmakers are using a different medium to bring visionary science fiction to life
-
Lovestuck: a 'warm-hearted' musical with a 'powerhouse score'
The Week Recommends Team behind the hit podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno have created a hilarious show about a disastrous viral Tinder date
-
Outrageous: glossy Mitford family drama is full of 'fun, fashion and froth'
The Week Recommends Adaptation of Mary Lovell's biography examines the scandalous lives of the aristocratic sisters
-
F1: The Movie – a fun but formulaic 'corporate tie-in'
Talking Point Brad Pitt stars as a washed up racing driver returning three decades after a near-fatal crash
-
Lost Boys: a 'sobering' journey to the heart of the manosphere
The Week Recommends James Bloodworth examines the 'cranks and hucksters' making money through 'masculine discontent'
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great offices
Feature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more
-
Film review: Materialists
Feature Two suitors seek to win over a jaded matchmaker
-
Music reviews: Haim, Addison Rae, and Annahstasia
Feature "I Quit," "Addison," and "Tether"