---
title: "Downton Abbey"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/downton-abbey-2019"
fi1m_id: "downton-abbey-2019"
imdb_id: "tt6398184"
tmdb_id: 535544
wikidata_id: "Q55647759"
fi1m_score: 64
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 23
published: "2026-10-05T15:20:01.386499+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T15:20:02.061641+00:00"
region: "SE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Downton Abbey (2019)

Directed by Michael Engler · 2h 02m · Statens medieråd 7 · Drama, Romance, History

## Identity

Downton Abbey

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/downton-abbey-2019
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** downton-abbey-2019
- **IMDb ID:** tt6398184
- **TMDB ID:** 535544
- **Wikidata ID:** Q55647759
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6398184/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/535544, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55647759

**Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 60 from 23 reviews

*In a sentence:* The servants are furious about being given less work, and the film expects us to understand

> *Downton Abbey* offers careful craftsmanship and some welcome comedy, but its crowded script gives familiar characters too little room. It is a decent reunion for devotees, with limited appeal for anyone coming to the household fresh.

## Synopsis

At Downton Abbey, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) face the arrival of royal servants who intend to take charge of the house. Charles Carson (Jim Carter) and Anna Bates (Joanne Froggatt) are among those caught up in the dispute over who gets to do the work. Downton’s staff want to carry out their duties; the visitors intend to run things themselves. Accommodating royalty means making room for employees who expect to set the rules, leaving the people who already work in the house to decide how much they will accept.

## Review

[*Downton Abbey*](https://film.one/tv/downton-abbey) is a pleasant but dramatically slight reunion, best suited to people who already care who gets to run the house. Michael Engler directs Julian Fellowes’s screenplay as though the chief obligation were to keep the familiar characters as their admirers remember them. There is sense in that: a return to familiar company need not justify itself by changing everybody’s life. Over 122 minutes, though, we wanted more than an opportunity to check that the household was still in working order.

The useful disturbance is the arrival of royal servants, who take over from Downton’s own staff. We laughed at the affront of being told that somebody else would do the work, because the staff treat being displaced as an insult to their competence. It is a recognisable workplace grievance, and the film gets some welcome energy from it. Their determination to have a say gives the drama a practical concern: who is allowed to do the job, and who decides.

Michelle Dockery makes Mary Crawley’s composure entertaining, and Jim Carter gives Charles Carson enough weight to make the fuss worth attending to. Both are useful in a film where so much depends on accepting household protocol as a serious matter. The difficulty is finding enough time for them among all the competing demands on our attention. Julian Fellowes keeps bringing somebody else forward, and the crowded script allows too little space for an encounter to change how we see the people in it.

Ben Smithard photographs the interiors with a warmth that makes it easy to enjoy looking around while the story pauses. Donal Woods’s production design gives the household a convincing sense of being maintained, with the rooms looking cared for rather than merely available for filming. Anna Mary Scott Robbins’s costumes repay the attention the camera gives them; here, at least, the extra room of a cinema screen has a purpose. The care in these departments makes the thinness of the writing more noticeable.

Mark Day’s editing has to serve a large cast and too many small concerns, and the frequent changes of focus grow tiring. We seldom get long enough with a disagreement for it to become uncomfortable. John Lunn’s music encourages the sense of a reassuring return, but reassurance is already in plentiful supply. A little less insistence on how fondly these people should be regarded might have given their problems more room to register.

The film’s gentleness also limits what it can say about the class system that keeps this house running. There is comic mileage in employees defending their jobs, but their desire to serve makes the household hierarchy seem hardly worth questioning. A period drama is allowed to offer an agreeable evening without delivering a lecture on inequality. Here, though, rank matters constantly, and the script is reluctant to suggest that anyone might be better off without it.

The move from television makes the weaknesses harder to overlook. Familiarity does much of the work that a more substantial story ought to do, and the procession of small incidents never develops much urgency. There is enough craft and dry humour for those already attached to the household. Begin with the television programme if these people are new to you.

*Fi1m score 64, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards qualified affection for Downton Abbey, with praise concentrated on familiar faces, costumes and period detail. Maggie Smith’s comic timing and withering lines draw approval even from critics who find the film wanting elsewhere. Most critics see a comforting return for established fans, and the warmer notices value time spent with the characters more than a substantial new story. The interiors and finery also earn praise for giving the reunion a sense of occasion.

Opinion spreads widely over whether those pleasures sustain a feature film. Repeated reservations concern crowded yet slight plotting, low stakes and limited appeal for newcomers. Several reviews also question the indulgence towards aristocratic life and the avoidance of social conflict. Eye for Film offers a particularly sharp dissent, criticising washed-out cinematography and choppy editing as well as flimsy drama, while still finding merit in the costumes.

## Straight answers

**Is Downton Abbey worth watching?**

*Downton Abbey* is worth watching for devoted followers of the television programme, but we find it a dramatically slight reunion and score it 64 out of 100. The carefully furnished interiors and dry workplace comedy offer pleasure, though the crowded script gives familiar characters too little room; newcomers are better off beginning with the programme.

**How long is Downton Abbey, and what is it rated?**

*Downton Abbey* runs 2h 02m and is rated 7 by the Statens medieråd in Sweden. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Downton Abbey in Sweden?**

*Downton Abbey* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from kr 39.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Downton Abbey compare to Gosford Park?**

*Downton Abbey* offers a gentler reunion with a familiar household, while [*Gosford Park*](https://film.one/film/gosford-park) is the sharper, funnier film and our stronger recommendation for a country-house drama about class. We favour *Downton Abbey* for established affection and reassuring company; *Gosford Park* brings more suspicion to its servants and guests, although its mystery plotting can get muddled.

**What should I watch after Downton Abbey?**

After *Downton Abbey*, try [*Gosford Park*](https://film.one/film/gosford-park) (2001, Fi1m 85): A country house full of servants, guests and sharper suspicions about both. Then [*The Remains of the Day*](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day) (1993, Fi1m 88): For a harder look at what a life of impeccable service costs; and [*Upstairs, Downstairs*](https://film.one/tv/upstairs-downstairs) (1971, Fi1m 83): Another household where the staff have lives worth following beyond their duties.

### Reviews we read (23)

- **Vulture**, Jen Chaney (85/100, inferred): Chaney finds the film a satisfying, welcome return that delivers the pleasures of an extended episode for fans. She especially praises its beautiful cinematography and costumes, along with a late scene between Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery that lands emotionally. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/downton-abbey-movie-review.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (80/100, inferred): Turan finds the film a satisfying continuation of the series, especially for viewers already attached to its characters. He praises Maggie Smith, who steals scenes as the Dowager Countess. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-09-17/downton-abbey-maggie-smith-review)
- **The i Paper**, Geoffrey Macnab (★★★★): Macnab finds the film contrived but enjoyable, with its kitsch and snobbery part of the appeal. He particularly praises Maggie Smith’s impeccable comic timing and the sumptuous production values. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/downton-abbey-movie-review-premiere-film-release-date-336503)
- **IndieWire**, Hanh Nguyen (B): Nguyen finds the film a satisfying, lavish return to the world of Downton Abbey and a fitting farewell for its characters. She especially praises its sumptuous visual details and warm nostalgia, while noting that plot takes a back seat to spending time with familiar characters. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/downton-abbey-movie-review-julian-fellowes-focus-features-1202172129/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin (75/100, inferred): Felperin finds the film satisfyingly sumptuous, though its many plotlines can make it feel like an extra-long episode. She particularly praises the costumes and finery, which make striking use of the big screen. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/downton-abbey-review-1238184/)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (70/100, inferred): The standfirst suggests the film succeeds in recreating the series’ charms. It singles out its upstairs-downstairs appeal, though the full review is not visible. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-downton-abbey/)
- **Screen Daily**, Wendy Ide (70/100, inferred): The standfirst suggests an amused, positive verdict. It singles out Maggie Smith’s sharply delivered one-liners and oversized hat. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/downton-abbey-review/5142587.article)
- **The AV Club**, Caroline Siede (B-): Siede finds the film charming comfort food for fans, but says it lacks a complete story and satisfying finale. She praises Maggie Smith’s sharp one-liners and emotional pathos, and singles out Thomas Barrow’s subplot as especially compelling. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-downton-abbey-movie-is-as-pleasant-as-a-cozy-cup-of-1837999771)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The provided page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also does not show what the review singles out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/movies/downton-abbey-review.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (2.5/4): Gonzalez finds the film wearying, with a season’s worth of incidents crowded into two hours. He praises the servants’ battle over the right to cook for the royals as evocative and a sharp portrait of class divisions. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-downton-abbey-excites-only-as-a-chronicle-of-a-downstairs-class-war/)
- **Evening Standard**, David Sexton (3/5): Sexton finds the film a comforting continuation of the series, with its conventional plotting and class system left reassuringly intact. He singles out the plot devices as feeble, though their weakness suits the film’s gentle, jolly tone. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/downton-abbey-review-traditions-remain-untroubled-by-plot-twists-a4235751.html)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (3/5): The reviewer says the film is a dream big-screen adaptation for Downton fans, though casual viewers may get lost. The politeness and intricate social world are a hurdle for newcomers. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/downton-abbey)
- **Empire**, Helen O'Hara (55/100, inferred): O’Hara finds the film charming for established fans but too gentle and insular to draw in newcomers. She singles out Maggie Smith’s acerbic wit as a delight, while noting the story’s low stakes and dated class outlook. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/downton-abbey/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kate Stables (50/100, inferred): Stables finds the film comforting and sumptuous, but judges its plot too slight to sustain a feature. She praises the glowing visuals and Maggie Smith’s zingers, while noting the film’s reassuring nostalgia sidesteps the period’s social conflicts. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/downton-abbey-review-big-screen-crawleys-serve-trifle-our-present-nerves)
- **The Guardian**, Simran Hans (40/100, inferred): Hans finds the film mostly harmless but argues its episodic rhythm makes it feel like an extended television special rather than a cinematic outing. She praises the familiar comforts of the returning characters, especially Maggie Smith’s withering asides. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/15/downton-abbey-film-review-hugh-bonneville-maggie-smith)
- **The New Yorker** (35/100, inferred): The capsule is skeptical, suggesting the film risks resembling a parody of *Gosford Park*. It singles out the crowded cast, whose members jostle for dramatic prominence. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/downton-abbey)
- **Variety**, Daniel D'Addario (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the film too slight and conservative, though it remains appealing enough for devoted fans. He praises Mary’s unchanged insouciance and the cozy village moments, while faulting the thin plot and lack of character depth. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/downton-abbey-movie-review-1203329044/)
- **Radio Times**, Eleanor Bley Griffiths (30/100, inferred): The review calls the film a disappointing nostalgia trip. It faults the predictable drama and its low-stakes storyline. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/downton-abbey-movie-review/)
- **Paste**, Allison Keene (9.0): Keene finds the film a joyous, satisfying reunion that is familiar but immensely entertaining. She especially praises the returning cast’s witty exchanges and the film’s lavish costuming, while noting its indulgent nostalgia and class politics. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/downton-abbey/downton-abbey-movie-review)
- **Consequence**, Allison Shoemaker (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film rushed and slight but ultimately a treat for viewers returning to Downton. She especially praises the cast’s performances and the film’s gorgeous visual design. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/09/film-review-downton-abbey/)
- **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (3/5): Mellor finds the film a frothy, entertaining victory lap, though it drags and turns mawkish near the end. She praises its lavish visual celebration of costumes, interiors, and the work of running the estate. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/downton-abbey-movie-review-maggie-smith/)
- **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the film cozy and lovingly detailed, but overstuffed with characters and indulgent toward the aristocracy. The meticulous period detail is praised, while the crowded plotting weakens the emotional impact. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/downton-abbey-film-review-2019-maggie-smith-movie/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (15/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film visually disappointing and dramatically flimsy, calling it a poor send-off for the series. She particularly criticizes the washed-out cinematography and choppy editing, despite praising the costumes. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/downton-abbey-2019-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Details

- **Director:** Michael Engler
- **Director:** Michael Engler
- **Screenplay:** Julian Fellowes
- **Cinematography:** Ben Smithard
- **Editor:** Mark Day
- **Music:** John Lunn
- **Production design:** Donal Woods
- **Costume design:** Anna Mary Scott Robbins
- **Producer:** Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes, Liz Trubridge
- **Cast:** Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley; Laura Carmichael as Edith Crawley; Jim Carter as Charles Carson; Raquel Cassidy as Phyllis Baxter; Brendan Coyle as John Bates; Michelle Dockery as Mary Crawley; Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates; Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley
- **Runtime:** 2h 02m
- **Certificate (Statens medieråd):** 7
- **Release (Sweden):** 13 September 2019
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance, History
- **Budget:** $20 million
- **Box office:** $195 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu3mP0c51hE

## Where to watch in Sweden

- Amazon Prime Video: rent kr 39.00, uhd
- Apple TV: rent kr 39.00, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy kr 49.00, uhd
- Apple TV: buy kr 49.00, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Gosford Park* (2001), Fi1m 85: A country house full of servants, guests and sharper suspicions about both. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/gosford-park.md)
- *The Remains of the Day* (1993), Fi1m 88: For a harder look at what a life of impeccable service costs. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day.md)
- *Upstairs, Downstairs* (1971), Fi1m 83: Another household where the staff have lives worth following beyond their duties. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/upstairs-downstairs.md)
- *The Rules of the Game* (1939), Fi1m 91: Country-house manners turn uglier when the guests stop pretending to behave. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-rules-of-the-game.md)
- *The Leopard* (1963), Fi1m 88: Aristocratic splendour meets social change that cannot be settled over dinner. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-leopard.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/downton-abbey-2019