Spencer (2021)
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The film explores the internal existential crisis of Diana, Princess of Wales, during a strained Christmas at Sandringham House.
The story
On Christmas Eve 1991, the British royal family prepares to spend the holiday at Sandringham House in Norfolk. Diana, Princess of Wales, finds herself in a strained marriage with Charles, Prince of Wales, following his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. While the staff prepares for the royal arrivals, Diana decides to drive herself and becomes lost, eventually encountering the Royal Head Chef. She begins to experience a series of unsettling dreams and hallucinations regarding Anne Boleyn, leading her to believe the former queen's ghost is haunting her as a fellow abandoned royal wife.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On Christmas Eve 1991, Diana, Princess of Wales, arrives at Sandringham House while navigating a strained marriage with Charles, Prince of Wales. After getting lost while driving herself, she encounters Royal Head Chef Darren McGrady and visits a nearby estate. At Sandringham, she avoids socializing with the royal family, finding solace only with her dresser, Maggie. Diana begins experiencing vivid hallucinations of Anne Boleyn, whom she believes is haunting her. On Christmas Day, she attends a church service where she is photographed by intrusive journalists and has a tense conversation with Charles. After being pressured by Major Gregory to conform to royal expectations, Diana retreats to her childhood home, where she dances alone and contemplates self-harm before ripping apart her pearl necklace. On Boxing Day, Diana and Maggie go to a beach where Maggie confesses her love for her. Diana then announces she is taking her children to London. The film ends with Diana and her children driving to London, where they eat KFC by the River Thames, with Diana looking uncertain but no longer burdened by royal responsibility.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States; Germany; Chile
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Pablo Larraín
- Writers
- Steven Knight · writer; Steven Knight · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kristen Stewart · Diana; Jack Farthing · Charles; Jack Neilen · Prince William; Freddie Spry · Prince Harry; Timothy Spall · null; Sean Harris · null; Sally Hawkins · null
- Genres
- historical; psychological drama
- Themes
- existential crisis; royal responsibility; isolation; mental health; haunting
- Tone and mood
- melodramatic; paranoiac; absurdist; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- biopic; historical drama; psychological drama; royal family; Christmas
- Franchise connections
- trilogy of iconic 20th century women
- Content notes
- depression; eating disorders
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Kristen Stewart's performance garnering widespread praise. It was noted for its idiosyncratic depiction and its ability to tell a familiar story in a disturbing new light.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 83% · review count: 351; Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 53
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · nomination; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Actress · nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is the second in Pablo Larraín's trilogy of iconic 20th-century women.; The film was shot on both Kodak Super 16mm and 35mm film stock.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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