Overview
A darkly comedic tale of ambition and rivalry in the court of a frail queen.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- caustic
- witty
- profane
- arthouse movie night
- historical drama evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a formally daring, caustically funny period drama elevated by its three lead performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film dramatizes the court of Queen Anne while using knowingly heightened, fact-adjacent subplots and modern-feeling social power dynamics.
Abigail and Lady Sarah compete for access to Queen Anne, influence over policy, and security within the aristocratic court.
The palace is rendered through conspicuous wide-angle distortion and unusual compositions that turn royal grandeur into an alienating, comic spectacle.
Duck racing, pineapple eating, childish royal behavior, extravagant costumes, and vicious court maneuvering puncture the grandeur of monarchy.
Films like The Favourite, and why
Barry Lyndon
caustic period comedy, lavish court intrigue, and a morally ambiguous struggle for power among aristocrats
The Favourite
stylized historical drama, sexual politics, and women navigating oppressive royal institutions
Dangerous Liaisons
darkly comic manipulation, elite social hierarchies, and ruthless ambition within a period setting
A Royal Affair
sharp female-centered rivalry, status competition, and witty social cruelty in an aristocratic milieu
Movie Details
- Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Release Date
- 2018-11-23
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (6063)
Cast
- Emma Stone
- Olivia Colman
- Rachel Weisz
- Nicholas Hoult
- Joe Alwyn
- Mark Gatiss
- James Smith
- Jenny Rainsford
- Emma Delves
- Faye Daveney
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Favourite about?
- A caustic royal-court triangle turns desire, class mobility, and political influence into weapons in the court of Queen Anne.
- What is The Favourite like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Favourite as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Favourite violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Favourite as mild.
- What did critics think of The Favourite?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a formally daring, caustically funny period drama elevated by its three lead performances.
- Which films are like The Favourite?
- Films with a similar feel include Barry Lyndon, The Favourite, Dangerous Liaisons, and A Royal Affair.
- How long is The Favourite?
- The Favourite runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Favourite?
- In United States, The Favourite is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
