(Image credit: Disney)
First things first: Cruella has no business being as good as it is. It’s a testament to the imaginative backstory that the Disney team concocted for one of the most cackling, dastardly villains in its back catalogue, and the excellent performances from its leads, that Cruella is such an enjoyable watch on Disney Plus (if you re prepared to pay extra for it).
Cruella takes place long before the events of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, the 1961 animated classic based on the Dodie Smith novel of the same name, in which the fashion-conscious Cruella de Vil schemes to kidnap a litter of Dalmations in order to make a fabulous (if unethical) coat.