Lady Macbeth (2017)
82%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: 23 wins & 54 nominations total
Lady Macbeth flashes some surprising toughness beneath its period exterior, bolstered by a mesmerizing — and unforgiving — central performance by Florence Pugh
Lady Macbeth is a film that will make you feel like you’re watching a period drama on steroids. Florence Pugh’s performance is nothing short of mesmerizing, and she truly embodies the character of a woman driven to extremes in search of autonomy. The film’s spare and graceful approach only adds to the tension and makes it all the more exhilarating. It’s like watching a wrecking crew in action, and you can’t help but be in awe of Pugh’s ability to communicate pure malevolence with just a glance. If you’re looking for a movie that will leave you feeling a lot of emotions, Lady Macbeth is definitely worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Lambton Castle, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some disturbing violence, strong sexuality/nudity, and language
Year of Release
2017
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 29m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 14, 2017 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 17, 2017
Genre(s)
History/Drama
Keyword(s)
Lady Macbeth, Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, Naomi Ackie, Christopher Fairbank, Bill Fellows, William Oldroyd, Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Alice Birch, R, History, Drama, English, Roadside Attractions, Scope, 2.35:1, $1.1M, reviewed by Li Sian Goh, Bob Mondello, Sara Michelle Fetters, Kate Taylor, Adam Graham, Bruce DeMara, Alec B, Carlos M, K Nife C, Nate Z, Shakespeare, period drama, female repression, oppression, empowerment, sociopath, sex, murder, psychological thriller, star-making performance, nineteenth century literature, autonomy, patriarchal forces, moral turpitude, uncomfortable position, taut tension, frisson, conflict, heavy sighs, foot shuffling, mesmerizing, spare, graceful, brazenness, toughness, mesmerizing, unforgiving, central performance, surprising, box office performance, budget, producer, MPAA rating, streaming, theaters, limited
Worldwide gross: $5,401,447
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,515,420
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,095
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 710,515
US/Canada gross: $1,129,408
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,362,333
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,112
US/Canada opening weekend: $64,537
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $77,847
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,039
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): £500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Cosmo Jarvis – Sebastian
Paul Hilton – Alexander
Naomi Ackie – Anna
Christopher Fairbank – Boris
Bill Fellows – Dr. Bourdon
Director(s)
William Oldroyd
Writer(s)
Alice Birch
Producer(s)
Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
Film Festivals
Sundance, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
23 wins & 54 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (198) | Top Critics (60) | Fresh (175) | Rotten (23)
At one hour and 30 minutes, every aspect of the film feels spare and graceful.
February 27, 2021
Li Sian Goh
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
[Florence] Pugh is mesmerizing.
August 17, 2017
Bob Mondello
NPR
TOP CRITIC
Lady Macbeth strikes hard and digs deep.
July 28, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
The brazenness of her actions and opacity of her emotions suggest a tragic heroine in the grand tradition … but the film lacks the propulsive drive to make her fate moving.
July 28, 2017 | Rating: 2.5/4
Kate Taylor
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Pugh is a wrecking crew, communicating pure malevolence with a simple glance, but always keeping her composure. She may be evil, but she’s first and foremost a lady.
July 28, 2017 | Rating: B+
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Director William Oldroyd delivers a taut and well-paced period drama elevated by Pugh’s riveting performance.
July 27, 2017 | Rating: 3/4
Bruce DeMara
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
This film will not make you happy, but you will feel a lot of emotions. With this performance, then-20-year-old Pugh let the world know up front she was going to be running things.
September 10, 2021
Jason Shawhan
Nashville Scene
Ackie plays the constant terror of being volleyed back and forth between sadistic white noblemen and women with terrifying calm. In truth, this is really her movie.
March 19, 2021
Cate Young
Thirty, Flirty + Film
A powerful, at times brutal, portrayal of a woman driven to extremes in search of autonomy.
March 8, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Kat Halstead
Common Sense Media
The oppressed become conquerors and vice versa in a story that treats vengeance like an everyday event.
February 28, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
With a crackling, loaded script by Birch, Lady Macbeth is an exhilarating, radical and timely examination of being a woman in a man’s world.
July 17, 2020
Dustin Chang
ScreenAnarchy
Director Oldroyd has done a fine job distilling the essence of Leskov’s novella. His Lady Macbeth is an intense, conscientious, well-constructed piece.
July 8, 2020
Joanne Laurier
World Socialist Web Site…
Plot
In rural England in 1865, a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to an older man begins a passionate affair with a man her own age, leading to a series of tragic consequences in Lady Macbeth.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Florence Pugh’s “mesmerizing” and “riveting” performance in Lady Macbeth.
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