Apple’s Denial With Cate Blanchett Brings Back One of the Best Parts of an Oscar-Winning, $723M Sci-Fi

Warning: Spoilers ahead for disclaimers.

Apple’s new mystery thriller series Denial See the long-awaited reunion of a famous director-cinematographer duo. Cate Blanchett leads a talented ensemble cast of Denial Like Catherine Ravenscroft, a hard-working and acclaimed television documentary journalist from London, England. Denial Also stars Sacha Baron Cohen as RobertCatherine’s husband, Cody Smith-McPhee as Nicholas, Robert and Catherine’s son, and Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstock, a local London man who lost his wife and son.

Denial is based on the 2015 book of the same name written by Renée Knight. The Apple series features an Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón’s first return to television since 2014 Believe. Cuarón has won two Best Directing Academy Awards, one for 2013’s Gravity Starring Sandra Bullock and another for his 2018 black and white film Roma. Denial has earned an impressive Repeat Tomatoes critic score of 78%.

Alfonso Cuaron & Emmanuel Lubezki Reunite for Denial, 11 Years After Gravity

Gravity won 7 Oscars including Best Director and Best Cinematographer

Emmanuel Lubezki, one of the greatest directors of photography in film history, reunites with Alfonso Cuarón in the Apple series Denial. Lubezki has shot several of Cuarón’s movies Including some of the director’s most celebrated works such as Children of men (2006) and Y Tu Mama También (2001). Lubezki and Cuarón’s last project was 2013’s 7-time Oscar winner Gravity Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, more than a decade before the release of Denial. Lubezki and Cuarón’s collaborations date back to the 1991s Love in the time of hysteria.

Lubezki and Cuarón were both born in Mexico City and have been friends since youth. They attended the same film school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico where they worked on Their first collaboration, a 1983 short film with the title Vengeance is mine. While Lubezki directed six of Cuarón’s professional feature films, he is also a frequent collaborator of two other auteur filmmakers, Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) and Terrence Malick (The tree of life, The New World, To the wonders). He has also worked with celebrated directors such as Michael Mann (Ali), the Cohen brothers (Burn after reading), and David O. Russell (Amsterdam).

The cinematography of denial is key to the show’s narrative

Lubezki and Cuarón put their signature stamp on denial through camera work

Lubezki is widely regarded as one of the most revered and skilled cinematographers working today. Its working on Denial Adds to his historical filmography and also Marks his first collaboration with 6-time Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel (In Llewyn Davis, Amélie, The Tragedy of Macbeth). There is no question that Denial is heightened by the stellar and fluid camerawork of Lubezki and Delbonnel matched with the seasoned direction of Cuarón. Their mastery of the material is felt in their stunning shots and sequences, such as one scene in episode 4 where Catherine is crossing the road and almost gets hit by a taxi. Lubezki and Cuarón once again show how their combined efforts use the camera to enhance the story and can inspire awards season conversations with Denial.