Spencer

Name: Spencer
Genre: Drama, History
Released: November 5, 2021
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Amy Manson, Jack Farthing, Kristen Stewart, Michael Epp, Olga Hellsing

2021

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 53 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 305 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 305 Ratings

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Spencer

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Movie Details & Credits

Neon | Release Date: November 5, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Amy Manson, Jack Farthing, Kristen Stewart, Michael Epp, Olga Hellsing, Richard Sammel, Ryan Wichert, Sally Hawkins, Sean Harris, Timothy Spall

Summary: December, 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumoursof affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There's eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.

Director: Pablo Larraín

Genre(s): Drama, History

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 111 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Donald Clarke

Nov 5, 2021

Kristen Stewart is inspired casting as a woman on the brink of escape from a superficially comfortable prison. Who better to play a person remembered for her perceived shyness than the current maestro of hooded introspection? Read full review

100

The Guardian Xan Brooks

Sep 3, 2021

Kristen Stewart proves entirely compelling in the title role. She gives an awkward and mannered performance as Diana, and this is entirely as it should be when one considers that Diana gave an awkward and mannered performance herself, garnishing her inbred posh hauteur with studied coquettish asides. Read full review

Alison Willmore

Sep 17, 2021

Diana, with her glamorous gowns and her taste for fast food, may be forever too much and not enough, but Spencer is just right. Read full review

David Rooney

Sep 3, 2021

Not everything lands in Spencer, and I often wondered if the film was so set on bucking convention that it would alienate its audience. But it tells a sorrowful story we all think we know in a new and genuinely disturbing light. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Nov 3, 2021

With the jazzy score by Jonny Greenwood setting the tone for the cacophony of sounds in Diana’s inner world, Spencer is an exquisitely designed, beautifully photographed and at times hauntingly surreal story, set primarily on the estate where Diana was born. Read full review

Aurora Amidon

Nov 3, 2021

For all its flaws, the film interrogates the limits of a biopic. And what better subject to do it with than the most beloved media fixation in recent history? Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Nov 8, 2021

It takes one of the most gifted screen actresses of her generation and casts her out to sea with nothing to hold onto but a hideous script that’s all attitude without depth or understanding. Read full review

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User Reviews

sehux

Nov 25, 2021

esse filme é uma obra de arte, a atuação de kristen stewart sera lembrada por muitos anos, a produção e o que podemos chamar de arthouse, minha favorita para vencer o oscar!

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

Reinakaka

Nov 9, 2021

Spencer is definitely one of the best movies this year！Brilliant performance！To be honest，she deserves an Oscar this time. MUST WATCH

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

nunez1986

Nov 5, 2021

Kristen Stewart is absolutely amazing in it!
She's incredible, she totally disappears into Diana.
The movie is an explosion of art (photography, music, direction, costumes and acting are sublime).
Kristen Stewart deserves all the attention and certainly deserves a lot of awards for her performance.

11 of 15 users found this helpful114

Israelmh13

Jan 22, 2022

Director Pablo Larraín borrows modern history icon Princess Diana to build a dramatic essay. And it works out beautifully.

To say Princess Diana was an impactful person in society falls short, not only because she was a wonderful and charismatic person, but she had quite enough controversyDirector Pablo Larraín borrows modern history icon Princess Diana to build a dramatic essay. And it works out beautifully.

To say Princess Diana was an impactful person in society falls short, not only because she was a wonderful and charismatic person, but she had quite enough controversy around her to call the world´s attention, at the time and as of now. Spencer takes the general knowledges we have about Diana´s life, such as her complicated marriage with Prince Charles, her eating disorders, depression along with suicide attempts, and some affairs she might have had herself. All of which buildup a tense and dramatic portrait of Diana´s most critical emotional moments in her life. So no, don´t expect a chronological series of events which lead to Diana´s tragical death in 1997. The film mixes up both fictional and historic events into a three-day span during a royal holiday festivity, filled with wonderful costume and set designs.

Spencer presents a masterful soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood, that if you have seen Phantom Thread (2017), you know that he is very capable of embracing the audience in situational settings. We are also offered with a fantastic cinematography by Claire Mathon, that has already done a masterclass work in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), but this time, the visuals make us feel like we are being taken back to 1991, as if we were watching The Silence of the Lambs (1991) for the first time. And last but not least, the breathtaking performance of Diana by Kristen Stewart, who has had her acting capabilities doubted throughout her whole career, finally having a chance to prove herself in this film, and boy does she deliver. Although her expressions are monotonous at times, the majority of the time she projects the true emotion of how Diana must have been feeling against every discomfort he had to confront.

There is a scene at the last twenty minutes of the movie, where a female character (Maggie), who is Diana´s wardrobe, that was practically her only friend, confesses she is in love with her. During the hole film you can perceive her as a refuge for Diana, an instrument that allows her to release all her bad feelings, and although there are no explicit lesbian interactions, this mentioned moment ends to be an awkward and unnecessary addition, considering there is no living proof of Princess Diana to have had lesbian conducts or approaches. The little joys in life, going to McDonalds to get a simple cheeseburger, taking a walk without being disturbed, spend Christmas with your pajamas on, all of which Diana can´t have and she really wishes to do, just make us reflect how fortunate we are of having an ordinary life and how Diana, among other public figures had all of this taken away from them. Spencer is Diana´s last name of birth, and it being the film´s title fits perfectly, as the Princess all throughout the film fights adversities to once again, find who she really is, as she is giving up on monarchy, we can see it represented on the pearl necklace she carries, which signifies Diana´s frustration towards Charles´ affair. Her children are the main reason of holding back. There´s so much things left to say about this film, but don´t wanting to ruin the experience, I´ll highly recommend it to people that love the drama genre, people that want to see character development, enjoy reflexive dialogues, all being complemented with incredible art development. Serious consideration has to be taken on this film for academy awards on all departments that have been discussed. Easily one of the best films of 2021.

Israel MH… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

arrivist

Dec 28, 2021

More of a psychological horror / fantasy than an accurate portrayal of what happened in Sandringham, Christmas 1991. The director masterfully establishes claustrophobia entrapping protagonist within minutes, then fleshes out the frigidity and oppressive nature of a royal Christmas, asMore of a psychological horror / fantasy than an accurate portrayal of what happened in Sandringham, Christmas 1991. The director masterfully establishes claustrophobia entrapping protagonist within minutes, then fleshes out the frigidity and oppressive nature of a royal Christmas, as Spencer draws on. This is clearly an angry and anti-royalist film which mirrors the recent representation Markle gave of her time in 'the family.' Kristen Stewart was excellent in this challenging role, as a woman falling apart (A Woman Under the Influence) at the seams, crying or tearing up in nearly every shot. A well-made, but somewhat forgettable film, due to it's poetic license.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lipamof14

Nov 24, 2021

This was a really long and not funny at all SNL skit. The photography makes it look extra dull and Kristen’s performance looks more like a bad parody.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

CheBarbaCheNoia

Nov 7, 2021

Sono l'unico che in ogni film di questa cosiddetta attrice vede la stessa espressione costipata ?

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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