Vladimir

It’s the superior of the two shows, in large part because of Weisz’s performance, which seduces the viewer with sensuality and humor, only to shock us with unhinged behavior. But what gives it the thematic resonance Rooster never reaches for is Jonas’ psychological insight into a place steeped in art and ideas that still gets bogged down in bureaucracy and appearances.

An antiheroine as sharply funny as she is willfully blinkered and as oddly compelling as she is repellent, she has a voice that defines Julia May Jonas’ adaptation of her own novel — elevating it into something knottier than the feminist cancel-culture treatise might appear at first glance, and all the more insightful for it.

The style of the series takes a bit of getting used to – it’s fourth-wall breaking, with Weisz addressing the camera throughout and speaking in sometimes quite stilted, stagey language. But before long you fall into the rhythm of it. Think of it as Fleabag for 50-somethings.

It’s such fun. Awash with academic ego and sexual brinkmanship, it leans into the main character’s obsessiveness and makes us almost complicit in ways that feel naughty, grown-up and sophisticated — quite rare for a Netflix show these days but hugely welcome.

Vladimir may not be an obsessive page-turner, but it’s still definitely a book worth reading.

Sometimes, Vladimir finds the right balance, while at many others, it feels as lost in the weeds as its main character. Weisz is having a ball playing this dangerous mix of cockiness and cluelessness, but Vladimir as a whole never quite coheres.

“Vladimir” works because it is indeed funny and sexy but also because it has fully developed, complicated characters — the too-smart-for-their-own-good sort that are having a hell of a time sorting out their lives.

"Vladimir" is the kind of TV show that starts at an eight and only revs up from there, fast-paced and heart-racing without any computer-generated imagery explosions or daring deeds.

Proves strangely compelling. Even when we think we know where the series is going, it remains as slippery as its unreliable narrator, difficult to nail down in both genre and intent.

“Vladimir,” based on Julia May Jonas’ 2022 novel, is ultimately Weisz’s show, and she carries it capably, often by addressing the viewer through the fourth wall.