A subtle clue hints at Rachel Weisz’s character name in Vladimir – but why is she unnamed?

Netflix has recently released Vladimir, the new drama starring Rachel Weisz, and interestingly, throughout the entire show, her character is never actually given a name, so here’s the real reason.

While the Netflix show follows her complicated life, including the fallout from accusations against her husband and her growing obsession with a new colleague, nobody ever addresses her by name.

And if you were wondering whether that was an editing decision or something that got cut along the way, it turns out it was completely intentional.

The decision actually comes from the original book

via Netflix

The Netflix show is based on the novel Vladimir by writer Julia May Jonas. And interestingly, the narrator in the book also never has a name.

The story is told entirely from her first-person perspective, so readers are basically inside her head the whole time. Because of that, Jonas made a deliberate choice not to name the character.

Speaking on The Maris Review back in 2022, the author explained why she decided to do it. “I wanted us to feel inside of her head, I didn’t want us to look at her as if she was an object outside of us,” she said.

So rather than creating a clear distance between the reader and the protagonist, the idea was to make the audience feel like they’re experiencing everything right alongside her.

Most Read

Shocking 911 call reveals hour-long highway chase with Britney Spears before DUI arrest

An engagement, baby, marriage and divorce: All that will be exposed at Love Is Blind reunion

Revealed: The two richest cast members from Love Is Blind season 10 and their wild wealths

It was inspired by Gothic literature

via Netflix

Jonas also revealed that the decision was partly inspired by a long-standing tradition in Gothic novels. “I also feel like there’s a tradition in gothic novels of these unnamed narrators. And it does add this sense of urgency,” she explained.

She also added, “My book is not particularly spooky, but spookiness as a vibe, say.”

Interestingly, there might actually be a tiny hint about the character’s name. In some international dubbing credits for the series, Rachel Weisz’s character is listed simply as “M.” So technically, her name could begin with that letter, although the show never confirms anything.

So it could be any name that starts with M. Or it might even be something like Emily or Emma, which can be shortened to “Em” or “M”. Or it could be something else entirely.

For now though, both Netflix and the original book are keeping that detail a mystery, and we finally know why.

For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.