VLADIMIR
Review Scores (how we rate) Watch trailer →
Vladimir follows a writer/English professor whose life gets messier when her husband’s affairs become public and her obsession with a younger married colleague starts taking over her brain.
He Said / She Said
“This is one of those shows that thinks being awkward, horny, and self-aware automatically makes it deep. It does not. M spends three episodes spiralling over Vladimir while everyone around her behaves like academia is just high school with better books and worse boundaries. The whole sexual imaginings of M gave me mild ick vibes, like overhearing way too much through a thin motel wall and wishing you owned noise-cancelling headphones.”
“I thought this might be a modern vampire Dracula situation. It is not. Instead, it is a horny professor talking to the camera while her husband’s public mess and her private crush somehow compete to be the least enjoyable part of the day. Rachel Weisz is moderately intriguing, but the show keeps descending into something more ridiculous than compelling.
The fourth-wall breaking feels less like clever storytelling and more like the show tapping you on the shoulder every few minutes to ask, ‘Are you uncomfortable yet?’ Yes…yes I am. Deeply.”
Critical reception (so far)
- “A bold, provocative drama that dives into obsession, power, and desire.”
- “Rachel Weisz is widely praised, carrying the show with a sharp and fearless performance.”
- “Divisive overall, with critics split between admiring its ambition and frustrated by its execution.”
What it’s about
M is a writer and English professor whose husband, John, becomes the centre of a campus scandal after his affairs with students are exposed. While dealing with the shame, gossip, and fallout, M becomes fixated on Vladimir, a younger married professor whose arrival gives her something new to obsess over.
The show mixes academic gossip, open-marriage messiness, sexual fixation, and frequent fourth-wall breaks as M lets us inside her increasingly uncomfortable inner life.
Overall vibe
Weird, artsy, uncomfortable, and deliberately off-centre. Vladimir aims to be funny, sexy, tense, and psychologically revealing.
Episode-by-episode (1–3)
M deals with her colleagues’ reactions after John’s affairs are exposed. Meanwhile, Vladimir arrives on campus, and M immediately becomes intrigued by him.
John wants M to help delay his trial so he can retire with his pension. M’s fixation on Vladimir gets stronger.
M tries to befriend Vladimir’s wife as a way to quiet her obsession, but the plan does not exactly work. Vladimir showing up instead only makes her obsession worse.
Content warnings
- Adult themes
- Sexual content
- Language
- Emotional discomfort
- Relationship conflict
Who will love it / who should skip it
Will love it if:
- You like weird, artsy character studies
- You enjoy shows with frequent fourth-wall breaks
- You are drawn to messy academic settings
- You like uncomfortable humor mixed with obsession
- You are already a fan of the book
Should probably skip it:
- You thought this was going to be a vampire story
- You want strong plot momentum
- You need characters with emotional depth
- You cringe hard at second-hand embarrassment
- You are not here for awkward sexual fixation as a main course