The Favourite (2018)

The Favourite is a period film that feels wickedly alive: a razor-edged comedy of manners where powdered wigs and palace etiquette hide teeth-bared ambition. Yorgos Lanthimos turns the royal court into a glittering pressure cooker, and the camera prowls through candlelit rooms as if it’s in on the gossip, making every glance and whispered slight feel deliciously dangerous. Olivia Colman is astonishingly human as Queen Anne—fragile, funny, and unpredictable—while Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone duel with charm and cruelty in performances so precise you can almost hear the knives being sharpened between lines. It’s bawdy, mean, and brilliantly stylish, and if you’re put off by explicit sexuality or sour, satirical humor, it may not be your cup of tea—but if you like your dramas smart, biting, and beautifully made, this one is irresistible.

The Favourite is trying to be a razor-edged period power game—part costume drama, part mean comedy—where affection and cruelty are basically the same currency. Yorgos Lanthimos leans hard into stylization and emotional distance, so if you want warmth, clear heroes, or a traditionally satisfying arc, this can feel cold, harsh, and a bit thin beneath the technical bravura. The upside is the performances are electric (Olivia Colman in particular is a controlled meltdown), and the film’s look and bite are undeniably distinctive. Skip it if explicit sexual content, bullying court politics, and a deliberately uncomfortable tone sound like a chore rather than a thrill.