Netflix ‘Vladimir': Creator says the show narrator might be lying

If you feel a little uneasy while watching Vladimir, that’s exactly the point.

The new Netflix limited series, starring Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall, leans heavily on a storytelling trick that makes viewers both accomplices and skeptics: the main character talks directly to the camera. 

But according to creator Julia May Jonas, there’s a catch – you shouldn’t necessarily believe everything she says.

Jonas, who adapted the show from her own 2022 novel, said the idea of an unreliable narrator was key to bringing the character’s chaotic inner life to the screen.

“One of the reasons that I got really interested in doing it is because we discussed this idea about her direct address having this different flavor than ones we’ve seen before,” Jonas explained.

“She was unreliable.”

Instead of the classic theatrical aside where a character reveals the truth to the audience, Jonas flips the concept on its head.

“Most direct addresses, like Shakespearean addresses, are where I’m turning to you and saying, This is the real truth,” she said. “Here we have someone who is actually trying to spin the truth in front of you.”

That subtle twist means viewers are constantly questioning what’s real and what might be filtered through the professor’s obsession – particularly her fixation on a colleague named Vladimir.

“There’s a bit of insecurity on the part of the viewer about whether she’s being straight with you or not,” Jonas added, “or how deluded she is.”

In other words: watch closely. The story might be seducing you as much as the characters themselves.