The Great (2020)

The Great is a sharply funny, darkly satirical reimagining of the rise of Catherine the Great. Framed as a loose, anachronistic period comedy-drama, it follows a spirited young woman from rural Prussia who is shipped off to Imperial Russia to marry the immature, cruel Emperor. What begins as a personal struggle for survival quickly turns into a high-stakes political game: she must choose between her own happiness and the fate of a nation — and then find a way to seize power on her own terms. Watching the show you’ll experience a collision of sumptuous period production (lavish costumes, palace sets, wintry landscapes) with modern, razor-sharp dialogue and irreverent humor. The tone swings between biting comedy and surprising emotional depth: scenes often land as laugh-out-loud absurdity one moment and raw, tense drama the next. Expect physical and verbal brutality played for both shock and satire, plus pointed commentary about gender, power, and ambition. At the center is a charismatic lead performance and a gallery of vivid supporting characters, making political plotting feel intimate and personal. Pacing alternates briskly between scheming and quieter character moments, so viewers get both the satisfaction of clever betrayals and the payoff of gradual character transformation. Overall, The Great offers a stylish, unpredictable ride — equal parts comedy, tragedy and costume drama — that will make you laugh, wince, and keep you hooked on who will come out on top.

Actors: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox

Genres: Biography, Comedy, Drama

8.1 /10 8.1 /10