Parents' Guide to

The Favourite

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Vicious, darkly funny, brilliantly cast costume dramedy.

Movie R 2018 119 minutes
The Favourite Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • The Favourite Movie: Lady Sarah
  • The Favourite Movie: Queen Anne
  • The Favourite Movie: Abigail Masham

Community Reviews

See all
age 17+

Based on 25 parent reviews

joaquingv
joaquingv Adult
April 22, 2020
age 17+

Rogerzfan
Rogerzfan Adult
October 9, 2019
age 18+

Truly Disgusting

The only positive things going on here are the costumes and the real settings. The only reason I gave it one star and an 18 year and up rating is because those are the lowest possible scores. Even if you discount the disturbingly perverse and gratuitous sexual content this is just a terrible movie, not suited for children of any age (including most adults). Yes, these characters are real people from an era known to have had such excesses but this movie makes it seem that none of them ever even tried to hide the extent to which greed, lasciviousness and the hunger for power motivated them. I've been very pleased so far with the accuracy of your ratings but this rating is so far off base it makes me question your whole system.
See all 25 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE FAVOURITE, it's 18th-century England, and Abigail (Emma Stone) heads to the palace. There, her cousin, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), works for and is the close confidante (and sometime lover) of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). At first, Abigail is asked to work in the scullery as a maid, where she's picked on by cruel co-workers. Meanwhile, Lady Sarah more or less runs things, taking charge of the war on France during the queen's frequent bouts of illness or sulking. Abigail sees an opportunity to improve her own station by preparing a homemade salve for the queen's gout. With Lady Sarah away running things, Abigail becomes ever closer to the queen and even seduces her. But when Lady Sarah realizes that her position is threatened, she starts an all-out war -- a war that the crafty Abigail herself is only too qualified to fight.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (25 ):
Kids say (15 ):

Director Yorgos Lanthimos adds a dose of wicked, whiplash humor to his usual bleakness in this largely effective costume movie, filled with deep-focus visuals and strong, ferocious women. Lanthimos' previous movies -- like Dogtooth, The Lobster, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer -- were relentlessly dystopian and malicious, and The Favourite continues that worldview. There are few, if any, good people in Lanthimos' movies. But this time, thanks perhaps to a screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, the iffy behavior can at least inspire laughter.

It helps that both Stone and Weisz are so good and so brilliantly cast. Most actors in these kinds of movies tend to get swallowed up by the costumes, the stiff dialogue, and the stagnant visuals. But Stone is clever, perky, and playful, and Weisz is cool, decisive, and sensual; they clash beautifully. Lanthimos uses an ultra-wide-angle lens that causes rooms to warp as it pans, and this creates a distinctly off-kilter quality, adding to the nightmarishness of the world. (It also makes things a bit more kinetic.) But in the end, the back-and-forth between the two central characters doesn't really have an ending, and The Favourite drags on too long before fizzling out. Thankfully, Colman's winning, unfettered performance as the petulant queen is a memorable takeaway.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Favourite's violence. Were you expecting that type of content in a costume drama? How does that affect its impact?

  • Is the violence directed at women mitigated by the fact that the women can "take it" -- and also dish it back out? Why or why not?

  • How does the movie depict sex? Are relationships based on love? Other things? What values are imparted?

  • Do you consider any of the characters role models? Why or why not? What's the appeal of watching characters behaving badly?

  • What did you learn about Queen Anne? Did the movie inspire you to learn more about her? Do you think this is an accurate portrayal of history?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate