The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
Movie · 2021 · Drama · 1h 45m · R · English
Curator score: 7.7/10 (242.2K ratings)
Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 7.7/10
- IMDb: 7.1/10
- Letterboxd: 3.79/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Metacritic: 87
- TMDB: 6.9/10
Director: Joel Coen
Production: IAC Films, A24
Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Miles Anderson, Kathryn Hunter, Matt Helm, Moses Ingram, Scott Subiono, Brian Thompson, Lucas Barker, Stephen Root, Robert Gilbert, Ethan Hutchison, James Udom, Richard Short, Sean Patrick Thomas
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict: A stark, highly stylized Shakespeare adaptation that turns ambition, guilt, and fate into a cold fever dream. Its austere black-and-white visuals, theatrical staging, and commanding performances make it a standout even for viewers who know the story well.
Best for: Shakespeare adaptations; Expressionist black-and-white visuals; Prestige drama fans; Theater-to-film hybrids; Psychological tragedy
Skip if: You want fast-paced storytelling; You dislike heightened dialogue or verse; You prefer naturalistic period drama; You need a plot with lots of exposition and clarity
Overview: Joel Coen’s Macbeth is less a conventional historical drama than a severe, sculpted nightmare. The stripped-down sets, sharp geometry, and monochrome photography create a world that feels both ancient and abstract, as if the play has been trapped inside a haunted soundstage.
Worth noting: Denzel Washington plays Macbeth with weary intelligence rather than brute force, while Frances McDormand gives Lady Macbeth a chilling, unsentimental edge. The film’s pleasure is not in novelty of plot but in precision of mood: every corridor, shadow, and pause seems designed to tighten the noose around the characters.
Bottom line: This is a film for viewers who like their classics reimagined with formal rigor. It can feel remote or deliberately severe, but if you respond to cinematic minimalism, fatalism, and language-driven drama, it lands with real force.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- Jay: “i dreamt of the three weird sisters” bro thats haim
- brendan o'hare: The witches basically spoil the entire movie
- ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗: there’ll never be a better depiction of witches in cinema than this there’s just no way it can be topped.... truly a masterpiece in every way
- itscharlibb: watched this whilst george built lego
- malik: shakespeare in the studio like damn this story goes hard lets make it impossible to understand
Recommended similar titles:
- Throne of Blood (1957 · Drama, History · 1h 48m · Curator 9.5/10 (176.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928 · Drama, History · 1h 21m · NR · Curator 9.8/10 (205.4K ratings) · Where to watch: FlixFling, Max)
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- Ran (1985 · Action, Drama, History · 2h 40m · R · Curator 9.9/10 (383.6K ratings))
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- The Death of Stalin (2017 · Comedy, Drama, History · 1h 47m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (127.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now)
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- The Hours (2002 · Drama · 1h 54m · PG-13 · Curator 7.7/10 (273.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
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Topics: shakespeare adaptation, black-and-white cinematography, psychological tragedy, prestige drama, theatrical staging, fatalism, period piece, expressionist visuals, gothic mood, literary adaptation
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/the-tragedy-of-macbeth/591538
Overview Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.7/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.79/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 87
TMDB: 6.9/10
Cast Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Miles Anderson, Kathryn Hunter, Matt Helm, Moses Ingram, Scott Subiono, Brian Thompson, Lucas Barker, Stephen Root, Robert Gilbert, Ethan Hutchison, James Udom, Richard Short, Sean Patrick Thomas
Where to watch Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A stark, highly stylized Shakespeare adaptation that turns ambition, guilt, and fate into a cold fever dream. Its austere black-and-white visuals, theatrical staging, and commanding performances make it a standout even for viewers who know the story well.
Best for
Shakespeare adaptations
Expressionist black-and-white visuals
Prestige drama fans
Theater-to-film hybrids
Psychological tragedy
Skip if
You want fast-paced storytelling
You dislike heightened dialogue or verse
You prefer naturalistic period drama
You need a plot with lots of exposition and clarity
Overview
Joel Coen’s Macbeth is less a conventional historical drama than a severe, sculpted nightmare. The stripped-down sets, sharp geometry, and monochrome photography create a world that feels both ancient and abstract, as if the play has been trapped inside a haunted soundstage.
Worth noting
Denzel Washington plays Macbeth with weary intelligence rather than brute force, while Frances McDormand gives Lady Macbeth a chilling, unsentimental edge. The film’s pleasure is not in novelty of plot but in precision of mood: every corridor, shadow, and pause seems designed to tighten the noose around the characters.
Bottom line
This is a film for viewers who like their classics reimagined with formal rigor. It can feel remote or deliberately severe, but if you respond to cinematic minimalism, fatalism, and language-driven drama, it lands with real force.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Jay (4★) · 10912 likes
“i dreamt of the three weird sisters” bro thats haim
brendan o'hare · 4952 likes
The witches basically spoil the entire movie
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (5★) · 4124 likes
there’ll never be a better depiction of witches in cinema than this there’s just no way it can be topped.... truly a masterpiece in every way
itscharlibb (5★) · 3639 likes
watched this whilst george built lego
malik (5★) · 2650 likes
shakespeare in the studio like damn this story goes hard lets make it impossible to understand
Recommended similar titles
1957 · Drama, History · 1h 48m · Curator 9.5/10 (176.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A masterful samurai reimagining of Macbeth that matches the same fatalistic rise-and-fall structure with eerie atmosphere and visual precision.
1928 · Drama, History · 1h 21m · NR · Curator 9.8/10 (205.4K ratings) · Where to watch: FlixFling, Max
For viewers drawn to severe close-ups, spiritual intensity, and a stark, almost ascetic visual style.
1985 · Action, Drama, History · 2h 40m · R · Curator 9.9/10 (383.6K ratings)
Epic tragedy, betrayal, and the collapse of power rendered with painterly composition and devastating scale.
1988 · Drama · 2h 44m · R · Curator 8.1/10 (191.8K ratings)
A serious, spiritually charged character study that treats inner conflict and destiny with operatic intensity.
1975 · Drama, Romance, War · 3h 8m · PG · Curator 9.6/10 (579.6K ratings)
For its immaculate period design, formal control, and fatalistic view of a man undone by ambition and vanity.
2007 · Drama · 2h 38m · R · Curator 9.8/10 (1.9M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Kanopy
A ruthless portrait of ambition curdling into obsession, with a similarly monumental central performance.
2019 · Drama, Fantasy, Thriller · 1h 49m · R · Curator 8.4/10 (1.7M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Another black-and-white descent into madness and power struggle, with theatrical intensity and mythic overtones.
2022 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 54m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (1.5M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV
A darkly comic tragedy about pride, rupture, and self-destruction, with sharp dialogue and a bleak emotional arc.
2017 · Comedy, Drama, History · 1h 47m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (127.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now
If the political power games and sudden violence are the draw, this offers a sharper satirical angle on ruthless ambition.
2002 · Drama · 1h 54m · PG-13 · Curator 7.7/10 (273.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A literary, performance-driven drama about inner turmoil, fate, and the pressure of private despair.
1993 · Drama, Romance · 2h 18m · PG · Curator 8.0/10 (212.4K ratings) · Where to watch: TCM
For its formal elegance, emotional repression, and carefully controlled period atmosphere.
Topics
shakespeare adaptation, black-and-white cinematography, psychological tragedy, prestige drama, theatrical staging, fatalism, period piece, expressionist visuals, gothic mood, literary adaptation
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