Florence Pugh is one of the biggest actors around at the moment, starring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Dune movies, and recent Oscar winner Oppenheimer. If you want to watch one of her pre-breakthrough performances, 2016’s Lady Macbeth has just been added to BBC iPlayer after airing on BBC Two last night.
Despite its title, this isn’t a Shakespeare retelling, but an adaptation of Nikolai Leskov’s 1865 novel Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.
The plot follows Katherine Lester, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage with controlling in-laws dictating her entire life. Eventually, she decides to take matters into her own hands, with her conniving nature reminiscent of Lady Macbeth.
The film has been highly acclaimed, with an 89% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes from 197 reviews.
Den of Geek wrote: “Whilst Lady Macbeth is a minimalist piece in many aspects (from its styling to the fleeting non-diegetic sound score), the impact this mesmeric revenge drama has far outclasses most period dramas due to its sheer originality and abrasiveness.
“Broodily snaking its way round your thoughts for countless days after, Lady Macbeth is simply unmissable.”
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“Pugh is a wrecking crew, communicating pure malevolence with a simple glance, but always keeping her composure”, Detroit News‘ review reads. “She may be evil, but she’s first and foremost a lady.”
The Atlantic called it “one of the best, and most surprising, films of the year”, while RogerEbert.com stated: “You can’t stop watching its beauty, even as you long to look away from its cruelty”.
If you don’t fancy watching the film on iPlayer, it’s also available with a Prime Video subscription, and as part of the BFI Player library.
Looking ahead, Pugh will soon be seen in the film adaptation of The Midnight Library and TV series East of Eden, both directed by Garth Davis, as well as a film with Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Andy Samberg.
There’s also the third Dune movie, and Avengers: Doomsday, which are both set to be released in December.
Lady Macbeth is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer, Prime Video and BFI Player.
