The Tragedy of Macbeth

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, The Tragedy of Macbeth is available in Australia on Apple TV and Apple TV Amazon Channel, and in the US on Apple TV and Apple TV Amazon Channel right now. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 883 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Denzel Washington leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Put it on tonight on Apple TV and see for yourself.

There is a reason The Tragedy of Macbeth keeps coming up in conversation. The writing in The Tragedy of Macbeth treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. 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. Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. It was released in 2021. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in The Tragedy of Macbeth. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Denzel Washington is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.