The Favourite

Play trailer

2:07

The Favourite

R

2018

2h 0m

Comedy

Drama

History

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

426 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, and Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The Favourite sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars.

Read Critics Reviews

Molly Haskell

Film Comment Magazine

Feb 27, 2020

It's a dark view, but dark views, like sunny views, have to come from somewhere. Where is Lanthimos's dark sun? I don't know, but I'll definitely keep watching.

Go to Full Review

Cate Young

IndieWire

Mar 10, 2019

Yorgos Lanthimos' dryly funny historical feature is all about power, and that means literally wearing the pants in a strange time.

Go to Full Review

Jourdain Searles

Bitch Media

Feb 23, 2019

In the end, The Favourite is a haunting reminder of the limits of control.

Go to Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

Jul 14, 2024

4/5

In between its stylish costumes and jovial soundtrack is a film with plenty to say on power, and how it’s most suited to the merciless and the conniving rather than the good natured.

Go to Full Review

Denise Pieniazek

Puesta en Escena (AR)

Jan 27, 2024

9/10

The most interesting proposal of The Favourite is the change of socially imposed roles regarding gender, here these canonical mandates are transgressed and inverted. While the men flirt and use makeup, the women have the real power.

Go to Full Review

Serena Seghedoni

Loud and Clear Reviews

Aug 3, 2023

4.5/5

Yorgos Lanthimos defies expectations and gives us a slow-burning analysis of politics and power dynamics that might be set in the 18th Century but couldn’t be more relevant to our day and age.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

SIMAS C

@simas_eros Oct 17, 2026

A film so zany, sexy, and entertaining that it captivates from the very first minute. Inspired by real figures from the British royal family—though taking significant creative liberties with their personal relationships—the movie depicts the rivalry between cousins Sarah and Abigail as they attempt to court and seduce the eccentric Queen Anne in the most outlandish ways imaginable. From the director of Poor Things (2023). Truly great!

See more

Jasmine W

@jasniquejewels Aug 31, 2026

wow I just love a good lesbian period piece this plot and scene structure and betrayal for power and control is astonishing the way Abigail evolves from this peasant maid to assistant then takes over sarah’s position what an ending it’s what makes this film a masterpiece must I say the costuming was gorgeous and so is emma stone amazing acting performance by olivia colman.

See more

R M

@RT83024318 Jul 30, 2026

Fun movie. It had some genuinely funny moments. The characters pissed me off the whole time, which just shows how well the actors did. That said, the film is way too slow and draggy. The character development is kinda poor, but it's decent enough for a casual evening watch... I guess.

See more

Thyaagu C

@Thyaagu May 9, 2026

What a ride! Lust, greed, power games, revenge, survival - every emotion getting poked and prodded in the most delicious way. Visually gorgeous, constantly weird, never boring. And the three women? Absolute domination. Simply awesome.

See more

Paul S

@PManRager May 8, 2026

This movie is amazing! It provides one of the most hilarious depictions of Britain's aristocracy, and Olivia Colman's portrayal of Queen Anne was truly breathtaking. I definitely recommend this for history and drama fans!

See more

Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 Mar 28, 2026

The Favourite (2018) The film is well-made and has a great team. The costumes and sets are the highlight, the acting is great, only the final scene is quite strange and illogical.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Yorgos Lanthimos

Director

Olivia Colman

Queen Anne

Rachel Weisz

Lady Sarah

Emma Stone

Abigail

Nicholas Hoult

Harley

Joe Alwyn

Masham

Tully

87%

75%

Tully

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Tully

The Party

82%

62%

The Party

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Party

The Last Word

40%

64%

The Last Word

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Last Word

Hustlers

88%

65%

Hustlers

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hustlers

Ingrid Goes West

84%

71%

Ingrid Goes West

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Ingrid Goes West

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Favourite: Trailer 1

2:07

Now Playing

The Favourite: Teaser Trailer 1

1:09

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, and Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Producer: Yorgos Lanthimos, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday
Screenwriter: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Waypoint Entertainment, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Film4
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $34.2M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings