The film lecture we didn’t ask for: ‘Malcolm and Marie’ For obvious reasons, 2020 was a dry year in the cinema industry. Any movie released by the major streaming platforms became the focus of moviegoers. Sam Levinson’s new single-location Netflix movie, “Malcolm and Marie,” is no different. A movie that would not be discussed much in a pre-COVID-19 world is now creating heated debate among cinephiles. Most criticism towards the movie argues that Levinson is not entitled to be criticizing the film industry as he only worked in a few major projects previously. The movie tells the story of Malcolm (John David Washington), an African American director who has just made his debut, and his wife Marie (Zendaya), who is a former drug addict. As the couple comes back home from Malcolm’s premiere, they start to argue about their relationship, their lives and their perspectives on art. At this point, it is possible to expect a dialogue-driven movie that explores both the characters and their relationship deeply. However, as time passes you realize that there is nothing much to explore in the couple’s relationship; rather, the movie is more about Sam Levinson rejecting the idea of “Death of the Author” using his characters’ words.