The Favourite (2018)
83%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
185 wins & 345 nominations total
The Favourite sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext – and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars
The Favourite is like a royal game of chess, but with more backstabbing and less strategy. The film’s witty script and superb acting make it a must-watch for anyone who loves a good historical drama with a side of dark humor. Olivia Colman’s performance is nothing short of sublime, and Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are brilliantly witty and nimble. Yorgos Lanthimos manages to keep the film’s tone perfectly on the right side of bizarre, making it a unique and entertaining experience. Plus, who doesn’t love a good arsenic-filled double chocolate and cream cherry cake?
Production Company(ies)
Alcon Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Sony
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language.
Year of Release
2018
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 0m
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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): Dec 14, 2018 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2019
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn, James Smith, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, written by Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, Comedy/Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Molly Haskell, Cate Young, Jourdain Searles, Ryan Gilbey, A.O Scott, MPAA rating R, produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Queen Anne, Lady Sarah, Abigail, Harley, Masham, Godolphin, period drama, historical feature, power struggle, aristocracy, monarchy, dark comedy, offbeat humor, eighteenth-century, indoor scenes, outdoor scenes, dim candlelight, ornate rooms, masterpiece, caricature, prostitutes, sexual, abstract ending, top horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, Fandango
Worldwide gross: $95,918,706
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $112,874,616
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 960
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 12,309,118
US/Canada gross: $34,366,783
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,441,928
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,162
US/Canada opening weekend: $422,410
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $497,081
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,407
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $17,651,606
Production budget ranking: 1,431
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,505,390
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $85,717,620
ROI to date (est.): 316%
ROI ranking: 441
Rachel Weisz – Lady Sarah
Emma Stone – Abigail
Nicholas Hoult – Harley
Joe Alwyn – Masham
James Smith – Godolphin
Director(s)
Yorgos Lanthimos
Writer(s)
Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
Producer(s)
Yorgos Lanthimos, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday
Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
185 wins & 345 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
All Critics (424) | Top Critics (86) | Fresh (394) | Rotten (30)
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.
February 27, 2020
Molly Haskell
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Yorgos Lanthimos’ dryly funny historical feature is all about power, and that means literally wearing the pants in a strange time.
March 10, 2019
Cate Young
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
In the end, The Favourite is a haunting reminder of the limits of control.
February 23, 2019
Jourdain Searles
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
Pushes the idea of the capricious monarch through the far reaches of comedy and almost into tragedy. Colman embodies sublimely the punch-drunk confusion of a woman unsure whether she’s child or adult, plaything or puppet-master.
January 26, 2019
Ryan Gilbey
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
Weisz and Stone are both brilliantly witty and nimble, but Colman’s performance is nothing short of sublime.
January 24, 2019
A.O. Scott
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
This is The Crown like you’ve never seen it before.
January 3, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
Metro Newspaper (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The Favourite is a showcase of great acting, a witty script, and thoughtfully considered direction.
March 4, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Yorgos at his zany peak, Amadeus via Kubrick, the royal court scenes from The Devils run blisteringly amok – blackbirds dancing on the tips of diabolical hat pins
January 14, 2022
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
Episode 21: Alps / Dogtooth / The Favourite – Yorgothon
September 3, 2021 | Rating: 88/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
There are moments when you feel like you’re watching a spoof, but Lanthimos manages to keep the film’s tone perfectly on the right side of bizarre, making it also pass legitimately as a historical drama.
September 1, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Ben Turner
The Pink Lens
[A] double chocolate and cream cherry cake of a film, served on the finest cinematic lace, chock full of arsenic.
July 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Milana Vujkov
Lola On Film
While some viewers may argue with The Favourite’s often cruel tone, no one finds any room to downgrade its acting and superb production values.
July 22, 2021
Robin Holabird
KUNR (Reno, NV)…
Plot
In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne’s close friend Lady Sarah governs the country while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper, but when a new servant named Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah and Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots in The Favourite.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Olivia Colman’s performance as Queen Anne is “nothing short of sublime,” according to A.O. Scott of the New York Times.
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