“The Regime” has a keen eye for the aesthetics of fascism, from an absurd woman-of-the-people photoshoot in a cabbage patch to Eurovisionesque extravaganzas. Just because these spectacles are laughably tacky doesn’t mean they’re without menace. And in the psychosexual folie à deux between Vernham and Zubak, there’s a canny use of infatuation as a metaphor for a cult of personality.
Above all, HBO’s latest series, The Regime, is about the joys of watching one of her generation’s greatest actors chewing scenery with gusto as a power-hungry, germaphobe of a stateswoman eager to make sure her vanity and her ambitions (both for herself and for her country) are in fine alignment as she navigates increased tensions within and abroad.
Authoritarian shadows aside, “The Regime” is also supremely entertaining, much of the credit going to Ms. Winslet.
Her [Elena's] performance is magnetic; the satire less confident. The story hurtles through a year of chaos, and the ride turns shakier when the tone shifts to straight dramatic thriller. The series feels leery of engaging with the ugly, xenophobic aspects of modern autocracy. It is more comfortable as the story of a demented ruler than a depraved ideology.
It’s a bleak look at the ways in which power corrupts, seduces, and seesaws that will leave you howling in laughter and twitching in discomfort in the same breath. .... The Regime is a twisted triumph.
It’s plenty good — Winslet is never going to disappoint — but it’s not at the level of Iannucci’s work.
Those looking for Succession-style density here will have to keep searching. But that doesn’t mean that The Regime isn’t clever. This is one of the most shrewd and unexpected affairs that HBO has pursued in a moment, and under the rule of Winslet’s manic genius, audiences should flock to its wacky wits in droves.
The final episode, in particular, feels rushed, as if Tracy had a bunch of new ideas to explore and not enough time to do so. Having said that, “The Regime” is never boring, and the first few episodes are as sharply written as anything that’s been on HBO for a long time.
If The Regime is rarely as funny as a zippy satire should be (it doesn't have a ton of actual jokes, and the comedy is often met with more of an exhale-through-your-nose acknowledgement than an actual laugh), it's the delicious push and pull of that relationship that keeps you watching.
The Regime is a lot of skillfully produced fun, but it never delivers the shrewd political commentary its premise could support. It’s less a satire than a farce—more The Menu than Succession.
La serie es una sátira política de humor negro y drama, Kate Winslet en su personaje tiene algunas buenas actuaciones, pero la mayoría de los personajes no empatizan con nosotros lo cual hace que uno no se adentre en la serie como tal. ¡ Hasta la proxima!
Hillarious, weird, and thought-provoking. The performances are excellent and the themes of the show are very current with everything that is happening in Europe right now, but probably can be relatable for a lot of other countries. HBO delivered one of the best shows of the year!
Not funny enough and very weird when it gets serious. Kate Winslet delivers a performance out of her comfort zone, but the story doesn't do her justice. The plot is so obvious with its geopolitical narrative: every government is bad. And the focus between the president and the soldier was unfortunate; I didn't care about it. Still has some good and bonkers moments.
Definitely written by ChatGPT. What a waste of the best actors and set designers in the business. The "prestige TV" cast and director interviews are the most painful part. So much sincerity, money and ceremony for a project void of meaning, or commentary on anything at all. Big, bad, expensive art insults us all.
The regime is hilarious and is a welcomed break from all the **** on tv there days. We need more of this type of comedy.Kate Winslet is brilliant with a very strong cast of **** writing is insanely good.
A hilarious outing with a sharp wit and excellent cast. Highly recommend and can’t wait to see where they go with it
strange start but looks interesting anyway. Super excited what happened next.
Couldn't get beyond the first episode. Pretty brutal stuff. I'm a huge Kate fan, too.... bummer.
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