The Queen of Versailles
An intimate, darkly comic portrait of a billionaire family confronting the collapse of its extravagant American Dream.
Overview
A glimpse into the lives of the ultra-wealthy as they face an unexpected fall from grace.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- audacious
- uncomfortable
- darkly comic
- social issues discussion
- documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a timely, engaging, and richly drawn portrait of wealth, economic fragility, and the American Dream that balances compassion with schadenfreude.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The camera follows David and Jackie Siegel, their children, employees, and household routines as their lifestyle contracts.
The unfinished Versailles mansion and Westgate’s troubles connect the family’s excess to the sub-prime mortgage collapse and the Great Recession.
Critics specifically identify the film’s balance of compassion and schadenfreude as central to its portrait of the Siegels.
The enormous unfinished house becomes a persistent image of superficial values and diminished fortunes.
Films like The Queen of Versailles, and why
Born Rich
observational documentary portrait of extreme wealth, family dynamics, and social inequality with an intimate, darkly comic tone
The Wolf of Wall Street
sharp nonfiction examination of luxury, capitalism, and financial excess through an affluent subject's collapsing worldview
Capitalism: A Love Story
empathetic yet critical documentary treatment of economic disparity, ambition, and the human cost of American capitalism
The First Monday in May
intimate observational nonfiction centered on a wealthy family whose privileged world becomes unstable during economic crisis
Movie Details
- Director
- Lauren Greenfield
- Release Date
- 2012-07-06
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (219)
Cast
- Jacqueline Siegel
- David Siegel
- Virginia Nebab
- Katie Stam
- Lorraine Barrett
- June Downs
- Phillip Froehlich
- Marissa Gaspay
- Tina Martinez
- Jonquil Peed
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Dox Amazon Channel, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Queen of Versailles about?
- An intimate, darkly comic portrait of a billionaire family confronting the collapse of its extravagant American Dream.
- What is The Queen of Versailles like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Queen of Versailles as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Queen of Versailles violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Queen of Versailles.
- What did critics think of The Queen of Versailles?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a timely, engaging, and richly drawn portrait of wealth, economic fragility, and the American Dream that balances compassion with schadenfreude.
- Which films are like The Queen of Versailles?
- Films with a similar feel include Born Rich, The Wolf of Wall Street, Capitalism: A Love Story, and The First Monday in May.
- How long is The Queen of Versailles?
- The Queen of Versailles runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Queen of Versailles?
- In United States, The Queen of Versailles streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Dox Amazon Channel, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel.
