The Favourite (2018)

I'm digging the movie—all three delivered solid performances. My only gripe is the trailer gives away way too much of the plot; they really should have played it more subtle, especially since it spoils that "look AT me! How dare you?" moment. Still, I dig the whole concept of rabbits representing lost children...

Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman are absolutely phenomenal; I'm honestly so thrilled they both took home the BAFTA 😍

They walked away with quite a collection of awards last night. 👍 It’s a bit of a bummer that Lanthimos didn't take home one too, though...

The acting was solid, and honestly, that’s about all you can say. Everything else felt pretty underwhelming. It wasn't quite as much of a disaster as his last Lanthimos film, but still, it just didn't land for me.

Superb acting, high production values, and a script concept that isn't half bad. The execution, however? It feels like pretentious overindulgence, served alongside a heavy-handed dose of political lesbianism.🤦

I almost died there. Honestly, a quick 20-minute nap in those comfy theater seats saved my life. This is one of those rare movies actually worth seeing before heading out for a beer.🍿

I actually enjoyed this one; it’s easily the most engaging of the Oscar contenders I’ve sat through so far. The characters have a certain charm, the dialogue keeps you hooked, and the acting is top-tier. I was particularly impressed by the cinematography. Olivia Colman absolutely nails the role of the spoiled queen—I've always found her hilarious, ever since her days on Peep Show, which is easily the best sitcom out of the United States. ☕

All things considered, this is my favorite among the Oscar nominees, even over Rome. It’s definitely this director's best work and the first one of his that truly resonated with me.

Olivia Colman snagged the Oscar for Best Actress, and honestly, she earned every bit of it 🙏

It is a rather monotonous and dark film centered on courtly intrigue.

I didn't particularly enjoy it.

I generally love historical period dramas and have even revisited certain ones multiple times. I certainly won't be watching this one again.

While the acting is excellent and there are some interesting scenes, the music becomes quite irritating at times, and the plot feels thin. I found myself bored for a good portion of the film.

I’ve always had a bit of a bone to pick with those historical dramas that try to romanticize courtly life—they feel so fake. That’s why I actually find myself looking forward to films like this one, which portray the royal court as something grotesque and morbid. Honestly, that’s probably how it actually felt back then. With Lanthimos, what’s really fascinating is how he conveys that vibe not just through the characters, but through those unsettling shots and tiny details, like the jarring makeup or those bizarre, awkward dances. If I have one gripe, though, it’s that Lanthimos is so deadly serious and pretentious about his weirdness; it’s like he’s terrified of accidentally being funny. Personally, I think a sense of humor is vital when you’re taking such an unconventional approach. It doesn't need to be a dark comedy, but every moment of levity in this film was top-tier. It’s a shame it wasn't a little more relaxed so we could have seen more of that.

The dynamic between the three female leads is spot on. What looks like "female jealousy" on the surface is actually driven by a desperate need for compensation due to deep-seated trauma—it's pure survival instinct. All three actresses are incredible, especially Olivia Colman. There’s that one scene during the dance where her expression shifts so suddenly it practically gives you chills. Also, this marks my first time actually enjoying a performance from Emma Stone; she usually rubs me the wrong way.

Fun fact : Rachel Weisz is actually older than Olivia Colman.

Jesse Thomas7 said:SPOILERS

Plus, that final scene where they ask, "What exactly do you think you've won?" really drives home the point—that woman who fought her way to the top was never actually higher than she was in that exact moment. It’s a total Pyrrhic victory.

It’s not bad. Honestly, the ending is pretty damn good.

I found myself feeling exactly the same way.

It isn't just that the country is at war; there is a war raging within the court itself. A gendered conflict, if you will. The winner claims the Queen, or so she believes. One woman is Black, arrogant, brutally blunt, and overtly authoritative, seemingly devoid of empathy. The other is white, seemingly innocent, sweet-talking, manipulative, and utterly unscrupulous. Throughout the first half of the drama, we are presented with the obvious portrayal of Lady Sarah as a cold, power-hungry individual who finds herself facing a rival in her relative, Abigail, whose presence only serves to make Sarah appear even more abrasive.

The person they are both fighting for is a Queen broken by the crushing weight of her duties, family tragedies, and illness.

And as these two women vie for her affection, the distinction between hero and villain becomes increasingly transparent...

...until that final scene reveals a sudden, unexpected twist where neither virtue nor malice triumphs, but rather pure, unadulterated madness.

ruggedjackal46 said:I’ve always had a bit of a bone to pick with those historical dramas that try to romanticize courtly life—they feel so fake. That’s why I actually find myself looking forward to films like this one, which portray the royal court as something grotesque and morbid. Honestly, that’s probably how it actually felt back then. With Lanthimos, what’s really fascinating is how he conveys that vibe not just through the characters, but through those unsettling shots and tiny details, like the jarring makeup or those bizarre, awkward dances. If I have one gripe, though, it’s that Lanthimos is so deadly serious and pretentious about his weirdness; it’s like he’s terrified of accidentally being funny. Personally, I think a sense of humor is vital when you’re taking such an unconventional approach. It doesn't need to be a dark comedy, but every moment of levity in this film was top-tier. It’s a shame it wasn't a little more relaxed so we could have seen more of that.

The dynamic between the three female leads is spot on. What looks like "female jealousy" on the surface is actually driven by a desperate need for compensation due to deep-seated trauma—it's pure survival instinct. All three actresses are incredible, especially Olivia Colman. There’s that one scene during the dance where her expression shifts so suddenly it practically gives you chills. Also, this marks my first time actually enjoying a performance from Emma Stone; she usually rubs me the wrong way.

Fun fact : Rachel Weisz is actually older than Olivia Colman.

The film serves as an excellent parody of those over-romanticized, quasi-historical melodramas that bear little resemblance to actual history or genuine drama, opting instead for cheap soap opera thrills.

A truly great film. Everything is said just enough—the rest is conveyed through action and performance. My only gripe? Those chapter subheadings were unnecessary. Jesse Thomas7 nailed it:

Jesse Thomas7 said:Yeah, sure, but a Queen is a Queen. When you talk about actual power—the ability to indulge every random whim, make the calls, change her mind on a dime, or just shut down whatever she feels like—she’s in the exact same spot at the beginning and the end. Despite being physically and mentally a wreck, her position hasn't budged. She doesn't even have to lift a finger if she doesn't want to.
She could flip the whole script tomorrow if she felt like it, and everyone else would just have to deal with it.

Abina's game is over. The tool has been used up. She’s effectively stripped herself of the one last thing—maybe the most vital thing—that she held onto even when she was at her absolute lowest point in terms of practical standing: hope.
Hope, the ghost of any idea, any plan, any desire or ambition that might actually improve her situation. She knows it's done. This is what she fought for. That’s why I think that closing scene is masterfully handled. Instead of some heavy-handed dialogue where they spell everything out three times over to make sure you get the point, they cement the entire theme through one long shot of Abina’s defeated face. You can practically feel the hopelessness, that trapped sensation, and the hint of apathy that’s going to be her permanent state of being moving forward.

And honestly, it's not just the final scene. Even with all those specific little plots, games, and twists that some people write off as the movie's "bad side" or just a bunch of nonsense, there are a few moments—like that one part about the different games the two of them are actually playing—where a single question or one seemingly throwaway sentence forces you to rewind in your head. You find yourself connecting the dots yourself, drawing conclusions based on what *wasn't* said.

When a movie pulls that off, especially with that kind of finesse, there's no way it can be total garbage.

I don't know much about cinematography. You're saying wide-angle? 🤣

I mean, I know it when it looks good. 🥳

I'm not sure if I'm missing something deeper because of the specific way he chose to frame the shots, but I'm hoping he did it specifically so that even someone like me, who doesn't grasp technical stuff, can still pull the intended meaning out of it. 🙂