‎The Favourite (2018) directed by Yorgos Lanthimos • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

The Favourite

2018 Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.

Olivia Colman Emma Stone Rachel Weisz Nicholas Hoult Joe Alwyn Mark Gatiss Jenny Rainsford James Smith Tim Ingall LillyRose Stevens Liam Fleming Carolyn Saint-Pé

120 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by davidehrlich ★★★★ 20

THE FAVOURITE POWER RANKINGS

1. Horatio: The Fastest Duck in the City
2. Nicholas Hoult?
3. Sandy Powell
4. Rachel Weisz
5. the bunny from the end. you'll know the one.
6. Olivia Colman
7. the naked dancing man who looks *way* too much like James Corden
8. Emma Stone
9. taylor swift's neo-nazi boyfriend from Operation Finale
Review by CineRevue ★★★★★ 3

Bravo Yorgos Lanthimos!
The Favourite is an absolute masterpiece, and is undoubtedly Lanthimos' best output yet.
Gripping and oh so amusing from start to finish, Lanthimos' The Favourite plays like a Kubrick-like marvel, expertly crafted and poetic in its delivery. The screenplay is brilliant, and could quite possibly be one of the best in years. A story of manipulation, of blackmail and treachery that plays out so beautifully, it just impresses with every ticking second, every frame, every scene.
Sandy Powell's gorgeous costumes are to die for, and plays like its own character.

The performances are incredible, especially Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz. Coleman is just utterly amazing. Ravishing in every aspect of the delivery of her character.

But the…
Review by jay 1

yorgos has moved on from colin farrell to make horrible histories: the motion picture
Review by Stephanie ★★★★½ 6

Being an old LA hag finally paid off. By far my favorite Yorgos.
Review by Stephanie ★★★★½

Rachel Weisz literally spits in another woman's mouth in disobedience but I want her character in this to top me more
Review by kathy ★★★★½ 1

venice international film festival #3

it is an incredible feeling to be watching this film in the same cinema as yorgos and the rest of the cast. when emma made her first appearance on screen i almost started crying because well I have never imagined such a moment to happen in my life.

i want yorgos lanthimos and his cast to sweep all the awards because they deserve it

at the end of the film everyone stood up and applauded for yorgos and friends for a long time and i couldn't have felt prouder to be clapping nor more grateful to have been in that room. i think this is enough evidence of how great it was; films like this give me life and remind me why i love cinema so much

Recent reviews

Review by anthony ★★★★

86

Film 3 of Telluride at Dartmouth 2018.

Sumptuous and stunning. With THE FAVOURITE, director Yorgos Lanthimos delivers his best film yet — one that works as both a historical drama and a sex comedy that features beautiful cinematography courtesy of Robbie Ryan (Lanthimos really loves him some fisheye lenses) and gorgeous costume design courtesy of Sandy Powell (just give her the Oscar already because wow). Lanthimos, working for the first time with a screenplay that he didn't co-write, deals primarily with themes of power and the way it impacts the three women at the center of the film. Despite not having had a hand in writing the screenplay, Lanthimos seems to be in his wheelhouse, crafting a stirring yet…
Review by zahra 🍒

heard this was kubrickian so of course i am logged the fuck in.
Review by Father Guava 1

I already relate to Queen Anne just by watching the trailer...
• Eating and crying
• On the floor screaming
• Fat and ugly
Review by John Bleasdale ★★★★★

Brilliant
Review by Eric Smith ★★★★★ 1

Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the greatest visionary filmmakers working today! The Favourite is without a doubt his best film yet. It’s masterfully crafted and the acting is completely transformative! Emma Stone and Rachel Weiz are outstanding. However, while they’re all amazing, the standout performance comes from Olivia Colman as Queen Anne.

I am an enourmous fan of Lanthimos’s visual style. I love the fish eye and wide angle lenses and the camera movements and angles remind me of the works of Stanley Kubrick. This film couldn’t be any more similar to Barry Lyndon. You can even see his Kurickian influences in his previous films, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. This guy is a genius filmmaker and I cannot wait to see what he does next!
Review by Kayla ★★★★★

This movie exceeded my expectations! I personally feel like my relationship with Yorgos has evolved over the past year or so. I went from hating The Lobster & Alps, enjoying Killing of a Scared Deer, to being just floored about the wit, charm and devotion to his latest The Favourite.

The Favourite is the Barry Lyndon I had hoped for. The entire cast delivers superb performances and GUYS DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON ALL OF THOES CAMERWORK AND VISUALS. FUCKING PHENOMENAL !!!

Also, reallly fucking excited that I saw this at a local theater MONTHS before this will even be widely released!
Review by Kevin Bertolero ★★★★★ 1

Soooo this is officially my new "Favourite." I saw this in an old theater filled with 800 people and everybody there was laughing. Very loudly. This movie is so fucking funny. Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, and Joe Alwyn are incredible. Yes, all of them. Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the greatest directors working today and I will fight you if you don't agree.
Review by tom_bond ★★★★½

Yorgos Lanthimos and his tragicomic experiments have been a favourite of arthouse cinema for years now, from the bloody Dogtooth and The Killing of a Sacred Deer to the oddly tender The Lobster. If his previous films felt like they were trying too hard to succeed as formal experiments, The Favourite marks a relent, and what will probably be his most popular film so far.

Themes of power, control and love all echo throughout Lanthimos’s work, and The Favourite is no different, entwining itself within the power struggles in the court of 18th century British monarch Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). The Favourite is still unmistakeably from Lanthimos’s mind (though the exquisite and filthy script is from Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara) but his harsh, alienating edges have been worn down.

Full review at oneroomwithaview.com/2018/08/31/the-favourite-venice-2018-review/
Review by Cristina Resa ★★★★

Un film meno audace dei precedenti, ma anche meno ostico. La sceneggiatura questa volta non è scritta da Lanthimos, ma il regista greco ci mette la visione, la straordinaria messa in scena e il particolare senso del grottesco. Anche qui emerge un certo il gusto per il teatro greco: nel modo in cui i personaggi si muovono nello spazio e interagiscono tra loro, si può forse riconoscere l’influenza della satira di Aristofane. Perché The Favourite, di fatto, è una commedia, nel senso più classico del termine. E anche spassosissima. Qui la mia recensione completa: www.loudvision.it/venezia-75-the-favourite-la-favorita-recensione/