Downton Abbey
Focus Features | Release Date: September 20, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 42 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
16
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Paste MagazineAllison KeeneSep 19, 2019
There are some incredibly funny sequences, a few genuinely heartwarming ones, and so many plots it will nearly make your head spin. But that’s the Downton we know and love, and seeing so many familiar faces and dynamics is like visiting old friends for one more jolly reunion; you will smile throughout the whole thing. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzSep 20, 2019
It works. It really works. It's goodhearted and clever, and it knows when to end. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTom RussoSep 17, 2019
The biggest narrative justification for “Downton” getting feature treatment might be the sweeping quality to all the character developments and showcase moments being juggled here. The intricacy is managed without ever playing like Fellowes took a couple of routine postscript episodes and simply stitched them together. Read full review
83
ConsequenceAllison ShoemakerSep 26, 2019
The strengths of the series are the strengths of the film. It looks great. It sounds great. If it could, it certainly would smell great (like rain, Earl Grey, green grass, and freshly baked bread.) And above all, it’s beautifully acted by a cast able to land both the punchlines and the punches. Read full review
83
Original-CinKaren GordonSep 19, 2019
As with the series, the movie is a mix of situational comedy and some drama. It touches on politics, personal and national, as well as other issues of class and status, that feel both era-specific and contemporary. And, of course, Maggie Smith as the crusty matriarch Violet Crawley, still gets the best lines. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranSep 18, 2019
Though Fellowes and director Michael Engler have taken pains to make the plot engaging for newcomers, this is a film, as was the case with the Harry Potter series and the Avengers saga, where the emotional connection will be strongest for those who’ve been there from the start. Read full review
80
TheWrapDave WhiteSep 9, 2019
This is fan service as painstaking as any Marvel installment, and you’re expected to bring your well-studied knowledge of deep bench characters and all your reserve emotional commitment with you. As a reward for those loyal fans, Downton Abbey offers an envelopment in gorgeous and exacting period detail. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperSep 19, 2019
It’s an extravagant dessert after a six-course meal. Absolutely unnecessary, but still a real treat. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerGary ThompsonSep 19, 2019
The idea of knowing your place may be offensive, but the idea of having a place is appealing. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldSep 18, 2019
This isn’t really a movie, but a delicious wallow, and regular movie rules don’t apply. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliSep 17, 2019
Downton Abbey is for those who loved the TV series and were sorry to see it go, and there’s nothing wrong with a little fan service for Masterpiece Theater watchers in a day and age when every Marvel film wallows in it. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattSep 10, 2019
Life is hard; Downton Abbey is easy. Read full review
75
IndieWireHanh NguyenSep 9, 2019
It’s a return to form, and its all-encompassing storyline plays much like a shinier, more magnificent Christmas special. Read full review
70
CNNBrian LowrySep 20, 2019
A warm if somewhat flat trip back in time that approximates the feel of the show's Christmas specials, only over-sized, and as cozy as a seat by the manor's fire. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelSep 19, 2019
Through all the skillfully juggled subplots, the overarching conflict has always been the family’s quest to keep hold of Downton Abbey — and thus preserve their role as the heart of the community, envied and adored by all — while also keeping up with the march of modernity. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonSep 19, 2019
Mr. Fellowes, being something of a genius at briskly established plotlines and characterizations, clearly knew that a regal visit would be an ideal way to show off the best and worst of each Downton habitué. Read full review
70
TimeStephanie ZacharekSep 19, 2019
As a one-off, it’s a featherweight delight, like the prettiest pink-and-white cake on the tea tray. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Jen ChaneySep 10, 2019
How pleasurable to once again escape to this thoroughly ridiculous, richly rendered place and live there, if only for a couple of hours until the credits roll. Read full review
70
SlateJune ThomasSep 9, 2019
The plot of the Downton Abbey movie is brilliant, not so much because it is surprising, but because it allows every member of the cast to do what we expect of them. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinSep 9, 2019
Downton 2.0 is literally bigger, broader, more gem-encrusted, punctuated with more drone shots and monarchist pomp, and has all the major cast members back in place. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubCaroline SiedeSep 10, 2019
The big-screen version of Downton Abbey is still engaging, well-dressed comfort food. It just doesn’t quite feel like a full meal. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Nathalie AtkinsonSep 19, 2019
With a plot focus on the exotic, ever-more anachronistic Edwardian manners and mores occasioned by royal protocol, it’s like a crossover episode with "The Crown." Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanSep 17, 2019
Downton Abbey is eye and ear candy of the highest order: rich and delicious, but not especially nutritious. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreSep 10, 2019
Much of that plays like politically correct lip service, and like much of this Downton Abbey, feels unnecessary. But that’s the thing about a cinematic feast for the eyes and the ears like this. You trim the fat, you run the risk of making the whole meal tasteless and dull. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineEd GonzalezSep 9, 2019
Every scene here feels as if it begins with a grenade being thrown into a room, leaving one to wonder how it will be diffused, and after a while, all you see are the gears of various sublots turning separately until they mesh together and move in unison. Read full review
60
The Observer (UK)Simran HansSep 26, 2019
It’s lighthearted stuff and mostly benign too, save its unashamedly effusive stance on the monarchy. Read full review
60
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisSep 19, 2019
From its spectacularly detailed aesthetic to the characters’ march down well-worn personality paths, Downton Abbey argues insistently for the status quo. Read full review
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenSep 19, 2019
Yes, it’s basically an episode of the show stretched out to two hours, but like the Crawley family silver, it’s so polished you can practically see your face in it. Read full review
60
Rolling StonePeter TraversSep 18, 2019
The actors have a ball with the fun and games. And you will, too, unless — as noted — you and the TV series have never crossed paths. Read full review
60
Screen DailyWendy IdeSep 9, 2019
Fans of the enduringly popular ITV period drama series will no doubt embrace this feature film spin-off, which represents a step up in lavish visual spectacle while retaining a comforting familiarity of themes and storytelling style. Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'HaraSep 9, 2019
Gentle, unchallenging drama for people who already know they like it, this is a nostalgic and rosy depiction of an England that was, surely, never so innocent. Read full review
60
The TelegraphTim RobeySep 9, 2019
Watching it is like settling into a reupholstered armchair which still creaks in the same old places. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawSep 9, 2019
The plots are rickety and the characterisation has the depth of a Franklin Mint plate, but there are some funny moments and Kevin Doyle, playing the overexcitable servant Molesley, pretty much steals the entire film. Read full review
50
The New YorkerAnthony LaneSep 23, 2019
Downton Abbey concludes with both Lady Edith and Daisy uttering the sacred words “I’m happy.” Upstairs and downstairs, in perfect concord: believe that, and you’ll believe anything. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesSep 18, 2019
Yes, the 84-year-old Maggie Smith is back as the Crawley materfamilias, and as ever she’s the MVP. Read full review
50
The Associated PressLindsey BahrSep 18, 2019
The movie could have benefited on a little focus and not so much fan service, especially considering how good all of the ensemble actors are in these roles. Perhaps that’s why Fellowes couldn’t choose just one. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerSep 17, 2019
Although this story line’s turns are easy to anticipate, the seriousness with which Fellowes approaches it is refreshing in an otherwise lightweight film. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsSep 14, 2019
It’s not a movie, really. It’s a commemorative “Downton Abbey” throw pillow. Read full review
50
VarietyDaniel D'AddarioSep 9, 2019
As a series, Downton Abbey sprawled, giving viewers the drama and chaos they wanted before a season-ending resolution of conflicts. Here, there’s only time for the resolutions, even before the drama happens. Read full review
42
The PlaylistAsher LubertoSep 11, 2019
There are enough subplots to fill every room in the estate, but none of these stories are fleshed out. Read full review
40
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottSep 25, 2019
As pleasant as the Downton Abbey movie is, it’s hard not to wish for something more substantive, more memorable. Read full review
38
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiSep 9, 2019
Julian Fellowes would have been far better off writing another relaxed Christmas special to satisfy fans. Read full review
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