The Favourite (2018)
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The story
Set in early 18th-century Great Britain, the film explores the power dynamics and shifting loyalties within the royal court. Queen Anne, who is in poor health and shows little interest in governing, is heavily influenced by her confidante and advisor, Sarah Churchill. The arrival of Sarah's impoverished cousin, Abigail Hill, disrupts the established order. Abigail begins as a lowly servant but quickly finds herself entangled in the intense rivalry between the two women as they compete for the Queen's favor and influence over the nation's affairs during a period of war with France.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1705, Queen Anne is ruled by her advisor Sarah Churchill while the nation is at war with France. Abigail Hill, Sarah's impoverished cousin, arrives at the palace as a scullery maid. After a series of events, Abigail is promoted to Lady of the Bedchamber and begins a sexual relationship with the Queen. This leads to a fierce rivalry with Sarah. Abigail eventually drugs Sarah and takes her place as the Queen's favorite, even helping the opposition leader, Robert Harley. Sarah eventually returns and attempts to blackmail the Queen, but the Queen chooses to exile her. Abigail is promoted to Keeper of the Privy Purse and eventually becomes a Baroness. The film concludes with a final confrontation where a sickly Queen Anne forces a dismissive Abigail to massage her leg as the Queen's health fails.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- Ireland; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Writers
- Deborah Davis · writer; Tony McNamara · writer
- Cast and characters
- Olivia Colman · Anne, Queen of Great Britain; Emma Stone · Abigail Hill; Rachel Weisz · Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; Nicholas Hoult · Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer; Joe Alwyn · Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham; James Smith · Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin; Mark Gatiss · John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough; Jenny Rainsford · Mae
- Genres
- satirical; absurdist; period film; comedy-drama
- Themes
- power; rivalry; betrayal; gender dynamics
- Tone and mood
- satirical; absurdist; fierce; profanely funny
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; royal intrigue; romance; political intrigue
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Glass of Water (1840), Viceroy Sarah (1935), and The First Churchills (1969)
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its direction, screenplay, and performances. It was noted for its unique blend of period setting and modern subtext, and was praised as a 'brilliant triumph' and 'deliciously nasty' satire.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 91 · scale: 100 · review count: 53; PostTrak · score: 2.5 · scale: 5 · review count: 37% saying they would definitely recommend it
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical · Won; Academy Award · Best Actress · Won; Academy Award · Best Picture · Nominated; Golden Globe · Best Picture – Musical or Comedy · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's production was delayed by a year to allow the director to make The Killing of a Sacred Deer.; The film was selected as one of the top ten films of 2018 by the American Film Institute.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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