How a secret pandemic project became a high-stakes battle of ego and art

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Filmed in total secrecy during the 2020 lockdowns, Malcolm & Marie captures a volatile relationship unfolding in real time. Born from a collaboration between Sam Levinson and Zendaya, this black-and-white drama tests the boundaries of creative inspiration, personal identity, and the thin line between love and professional resentment.

Conceived when production on the HBO series Euphoria stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malcolm & Marie emerged as a unique experiment in constrained filmmaking. Sam Levinson and Zendaya sought to create a relationship-focused piece that played out in real time, eventually recruiting John David Washington after he heard a ten-page sample of the script over the phone. The production was remarkably insular; it was the first Hollywood feature to be fully written, funded, and completed during the pandemic, with filming occurring in total secrecy at the Caterpillar House in California between June 17 and July 2, 2020.

The film’s technical execution was as restrictive as its narrative. With no dedicated makeup or costume departments, the leads managed their own appearances. The set was limited to a maximum of 12 people at any given time, all of whom adhered to strict quarantine protocols. Shot on 35 mm black-and-white film, the project relied on a small crew familiar with Levinson’s style. Despite its modest origins, Netflix secured the distribution rights in September 2020 for $30 million, outbidding several major studios, though the film’s theatrical reach was severely hampered by the ongoing health crisis.

Critical reception was polarized, reflecting the film's own internal friction. While many reviewers lauded the chemistry between Zendaya and Washington, the screenplay drew significant ire. Critics like Will Gompertz and Charles Bramesco found the dialogue exhausting or overacted, while others, such as Zach Marsh, hailed it as a modern masterpiece. The narrative itself—a writer-director clashing with his girlfriend over whether she served as the unacknowledged muse for his latest work—mirrors the meta-commentary Levinson intended regarding film criticism. Ultimately, the film remains a polarizing artifact of a period defined by isolation, leaving the audience to decide if the characters' cycle of conflict is a profound exploration of intimacy or merely a display of unchecked ego.

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