The Favourite (2018) on Netflix
R20181h 59mBiographyComedyDramaHistory
England is at war with France, and the frail Queen Anne relies on her advisor Sarah Churchill. Sarah's impoverished cousin Abigail Hill arrives at the palace in search of work.
- Netflix3.0/5
- IMDb7.5/10261,363 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
In the early 18th century, England is at war with France. Queen Anne, in poor health, takes little interest in governing and keeps seventeen rabbits to stand in for the children she lost. Sarah Churchill, her confidante, advisor and childhood friend, makes most of her wartime decisions. Robert Harley, the leader of the opposition, wants the war stopped, while Sidney Godolphin argues for continuing it, and Sarah persuades Anne to double the tax to pay for the next stage of the fighting. Abigail Hill, Sarah's impoverished cousin, arrives at the palace seeking employment after her father gambled her away; Sarah gives her work below stairs, where the other maids torment her. When Anne is seized by gout, Abigail forages herbs that ease the pain, and Sarah takes her on.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Favourite (2018)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Deborah Davis wrote the first draft of The Favourite in 1998, had no prior screenwriting experience, studied screenwriting at night school, and originally titled it The Balance of Power.
- Producer Ceci Dempsey struggled to finance the film because of its lesbian content and lack of male representation, which financiers thought would be hard to market.
- Before filming, Lanthimos put his main actors through three weeks of unorthodox rehearsals: tying themselves in knots, jumping between carpet tiles, writhing on the floor, and linking arms into a "human pretzel" while delivering lines from serious scenes.
- Johnnie Burn, the sound designer, said there was no composer on the film and that they worked between music and sound, using specific EQ frequencies to shape atmospheric sound like score.
- The Favourite opened in four US theaters and averaged $105,603 per venue, the best of 2018, beating Suspiria's $89,903.
