“The Favourite” is a period comedy about power, betrayal and three women who want it all. Olivia Colman plays Queen Anne, a sickly monarch whose grip on England is slipping fast. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz play her closest friends, Abigail and Sarah Churchill, and the film watches them scheme, seduce and stab each other in the back for the queen’s favor.
The movie is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and it moves at a slow, deliberate pace that feels deliberate rather than slow. Characters speak in clipped, formal tones, and the camera lingers on faces, waiting for the next cruel remark to land. That restraint pays off. Every pause builds tension, and every joke lands harder because nothing rushes it.
Trailer, via SearchlightPictures.
The Three Women
Olivia Colman gives a career-best performance as Anne, a woman ruled by her nerves and her grief over losing her children. Her face registers everything she cannot say aloud, and the film trusts her to carry scenes without a single line of dialogue. Emma Stone plays Abigail as a wide-eyed opportunist who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it, while Rachel Weisz’s Sarah is colder, more calculating, and far more dangerous.
The triangle between them is the engine of the film. Their jealousy, their alliances and their betrayals drive every scene, and the film never lets you forget who holds the real power at any given moment. The performances are so strong that the plot, which could feel thin, stays compelling throughout.
The Period Detail
Lanthimos fills the screen with rich costumes and grand rooms, but he never lets the setting swallow the story. The palace is a stage for the drama, not a backdrop for it. The film also handles sex with a matter-of-fact cruelty that some viewers find uncomfortable, though it never becomes gratuitous.
The sound design deserves credit too. Music swells during tense moments, and the silence between lines carries just as much weight. It’s a film that thinks about every second of its runtime.
What Works and Where It Falls Short
What works:
- Olivia Colman’s portrait of a broken queen
- Emma Stone’s sharp, funny performance as the schemer
- Rachel Weisz’s cold, controlled presence
- The film’s refusal to rush its pacing
- The period detail, from costumes to rooms
Where it falls short:
Some viewers may find the pacing slow in stretches, and the ending, which pulls back from the tension built earlier, leaves the film feeling slightly unfinished. But these are small complaints against a film of this caliber.
Running Order
| Scene | Time |
|---|---|
| Opening sequence | 0:00 |
| Abigail arrives at court | 15:00 |
| Sarah reveals her plan | 30:00 |
| Abigail’s rise begins | 45:00 |
| Mid-film twist | 60:00 |
| Climax | 90:00 |
| Closing scenes | 100:00 |
“The Favourite” is a sharp, funny, often cruel look at power and the people who chase it. It’s a film that respects its audience enough to let them sit with discomfort, and it rewards patience with some of the best acting on screen.
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